Kaleido Star: Heart of a Lioness
by an ancient
Summary: Love has countless definitions, but has only one true meaning. Follow Sora's and Layla's attempt at deciphering this mystery.
1. Chapter 1

**Kaleido Star: Heart of a Lioness**

**Chapter 1**

**Off-Broadway**

Walking behind the curtains of a big stage is a mature-looking woman. However she is walking with a small notebook in hand and a pen placed between her nose and upper lip like a moustache, this in turn makes her look more like a juvenile schoolgirl. She is seemingly pondering something, but doesn't fail to notice her surroundings as she carefully notes when something catches her attention. A discarded cup of coffee, a janitor's uniform folded on a chair, one of the old unused props, any meaningless thing seems to spark ideas in her as she quickly writes her ideas.

Finally she sits down in a front-row seat and reviews her ideas.

Panting a young blond sits herself next to the elder woman, obviously exhausted wiping the sweat of her forehead.

Curious to see one of her actors this exhausted she asks.

"_Are you done for today?"_

"_No she is not." _interrupted an imposing female voice. _"But it's Macquarie's first session of the new training regime; she's bound to get tired quickly."_

"_I think she can talk for herself." _said the elderly woman, refocusing on the girl next to her._ "So what do you say?"_

Macquarie however was still with her eyes closed panting and with her arm over her eyes. She barely managed to silently answer.

"_What Layla said." _

Normally the girl would only talk with the highest of etiquette, but after the rough training she had just gotten through, it was the only thing she could say. Neither of her superiors seemed to mind it tough.

"_Hmpf, sometimes I think it's you calling the shots around here, not me. I wonder how Kalos managed you back at Kaleido Stage."_

"_You can blame yourself Cathy; it was you who offered me a partnership and not an actor's contract."_

The director sighed. _"I curse myself for that. To think how much trouble it would have saved me."_

With that their little argument ended and rehearsals continued. Macquarie also followed shortly, there was only that long of a break she was allowed. If she ever dared to hope to reach the same glory as Layla, she needed to build up more strength, because after she barely lived up to her expectation in the Golden Phoenix show, she now needed to surpass them. Cathy on the other hand knew that this was all part of Layla's routine she put through all of her rookies. At least that meant that Layla saw potential in her, however her expectations have rarely been breached and it would still be a while before the former maid would become reasonably good. The only person to have ever surpassed those expectations was Sora.

But Cathy saw something different today. She had seen it before but it took her a while to realize what was going on with Layla. Beneath her usual calm and collected exterior, and her usual flawless performance, there was _something._ But what was it?

Cathy pondered. **Haven't I see this before?**

Layla didn't notice the intense pondering, but she felt something, something that Cathy started to notice. It did not affect her routine and there was little to no real evidence that would suggest a troubled nature.

**Everything is going smoother than usual.**** Macquarie is starting to slowly improve; by the next show she'll be good enough for slightly greater roles. Then I'll send her to some other stages for her to gain more experience. **

A pleasant feeling started to course through her.

**I forgot just how rewarding having an apprentice is.**** This stage is slowly starting to become more like Kaleido Stage. I wonder if I provoked this change. Seems to be the only explanation. **

Her good mood however quickly changed as the previous thoughts crossed her mind.

**At the moment, there is little I would want to improve. … but … why? Why do I feel I want something? What is it I desire?**

Now Cathy realized and she slapped herself over her forehead. It had been obvious all along. She took the pen that was now placed at the top of her ear and wrote down in her small notebook.

**I must be getting old. How could I fail to notice what's going on with her? At least this time she'll be going during her vacation.**

With that final note she closed her notebook and placed her pen back as if it was her moustache, just in case a new idea popped into her head.

A few hours later Macquarie finished her daily quota. Layla allowed her to stop, considering it enough for today. However she also specified that during the three-week vacation Macquarie should keep up her training and increase difficulty with each new week.

"_Yes mistress ... I mean Layla, I will."_

"_Good, enjoy your vacation; I expect you in top form when the new rehearsals begin."_

"_Thank you, I'll try my best."_

"_Don't forget to talk with Cathy."_

"_Yes, yes of course. "_

With that the satin-blond girl left tired, but happy, heading towards the director. Layla continued to practice as she normally did. She still had enough spare energy for another couple of hours.

Cathy was still pondering various things and didn't even notice when Macquarie came to her.

"_Excuse me."_

She spooked the director whose pen-moustache dropped.

"_Argh! … Don't do that whilst I'm thinking."_

"_I'm sorry, but I would like to see the notes you made today."_

"_You do? Why?"_

"_Layla told me I should get more involved with other aspects of the stage and I'll be presenting your ideas to the other producers."_

Cathy laughed a bit.

"_There's always room for improvement isn't there? Very well. "_

Cathy retrieved her pen from the stage floor and replaced it back to its previous position on her upper lip. Macquarie opened the small notebook and took one idea at a time. The pages where quite full with concepts: some very literate ideas, others abstract scribbles. Never the less she had to go through all of them in order to understand them. Cathy was pleased to talk about her ideas and if it was Macquarie's responsibility from now on to present the idea to the others of the staff it was all the better for her. She admitted that the girl had a lot more patience with the other directors, than she had.

"_So this protagonist does not see the answer, although it's in front of her?"_

"_Yes."_ said Cathy nodding, happy that the young girl was starting to understand her ideas.

"_Aha, I see."_

Another few ideas were discussed before they got to the final written page. Macquarie at first didn't know what to make of the three words that were underlined, showing its importance.

"_Layla Road Trip?" _she read confused._" Is the mistress going somewhere?"_

Cathy nodded. _"I wasn't sure at first, but she seems troubled again and you know what she does when she thinks she's at a standstill."_

"_Layla is troubled? She looks perfectly normal to me."_

"_Well, that's why I am the director here and you an act_or. _It is funny though how she fancies these kind of trips to figure herself out."_

"_At least this time we should find out where she is going."_

"_That's a great idea!" _said the elderly woman taking her notebook back in her hand, intending to write the girl's idea down so she wouldn't forget. _"Argh! Where did that pencil go!?"_

Macquarie laughed a bit, then reached out to Cathy's face to remove the pencil from underneath her nose. In all the deep consideration of new ideas, the director forgot her pen was still substituting a moustache.

"_Here it is."_ the girl said with an amused look.

"_I knew that!" _answered Cathy taking the pen. **I really am getting old.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Kaleido Stage Dormitories Terrace**

"_Here?" _asked a black-haired girl pointing at an empty spot on a desk.

"_A bit more to the right actually." _said another girl guiding the pointing hand.

"_So he's standing there right now?"_

"_Yes."_

"_You told him not to move, right Rosetta?"_

"_Why do you all of a sudden want to see him, May?" _intervened a third girl who was the only one seated.

"_Because I want to convince myself that this 'Fool' exists and that you two are not as crazy as I think you are."_

"_Layla could also see him and I don't think she, out of all the people was crazy."_

"_Exactly! That's just why I want to see him, if Layla could, then there has to be something to this spirit after all."_

With that the young Chinese girl became silent and locked her sight on that spot on the table, slowly raising her hand. As she got closer Fool couldn't keep his nerve and asked frightened.

"_Sora what is she doing?"_

The lavender-haired girl was equally confused. _"What's wrong May?"_

"_Shhht." _she quietly said. _"I don't want to scare him."_

With one final step May had gotten close enough. She maintained her focused posture. Fool on the other hand was at the end of his nerve and started shaking, gulping nervously.

"_HA!" _yelled out May as she violently brought her hand down making a loud sound.

Both, Rosetta and Sora, flinched as it happened. The umbrella attached to the table shaked violently for a few seconds, but still couldn't regain its right angle. It remained inclined and was testimony to May's strength. The Chinese raised her hand. There was a visible dent where her palm had just been.

"_Why did you just do that?" _asked Rosetta holding her hand on her pounding heart after the slight shock.

"_You two are crazy! There is nothing here."_

Sora also calmed herself. _"After a hit like that, I don't think there would have been anything left. It's a good thing he vanished in time."_

"_What!? I didn't know he could disappear like that."_

"_Of course I can! And I'll do it again if she tries something like that again."_

Sora quickly turned and spotted Fool next to her, who had reappeared. He too hand his hand on his pounding chest after almost being flattened.

"_Are you all right?"_ she asked concerned over the spirit.

"_I've been better."_

Rosetta also looked over to Sora's shoulder. _"At least she is not …"_

"_Don't move Sora." _interrupted May, after having crossed the line of sight of her two friends, deducing the spirits position.

"…_going to try again." _finished Rosetta sighing. **Why does she always have to exaggerate? **

Sora and Fool were terrified seeing May cocked like a revolver, with her hand raised, ready to fire any minute. If May ever set a goal in her head she would not back down until she accomplished it. The outcome looked inevitable for Fool and Sora as they were only inches away from certain doom.

"_Oh for the love of god." _said Rosetta having run out of patience.

She quickly grabbed Fool and took off her orange wristband. It was a simple piece of thin colored cloth. Rosetta quickly and quite skillfully tied the wristband around Fool's neck, even making a nice ribbon. Sora upon seeing him couldn't contain her laughter. A fool's job may be to bring laughter to the crowd, but this is the first time the fool turned into the clown.

"_What? What's wrong?" _asked the spirit, but no answer came from the Japanese as she couldn't stop laughing.

"_Now, either I am a magician or there is something." _said Rosetta.

May gulped, she expected Fool's existence to be true, but this was the first apparition she ever witnessed. As a child she never believed in ghosts or any supernatural beings, but now she had proof. She poked the floating ribbon, feeling the general size and shape. After she was done she also took a seat, pleased to have found an answer, but still a bit surprised.

"_So you two aren't crazy after all."_

"_You could have believed us from the start, not go out ghost-hunting." _added Rosetta still a bit annoyed by the whole incident.

"_I needed to know for sure."_

"_You always like to exaggerate."_

"_Exaggerate!? I'm merely doing what I think is right."_

A new argument began between the two, each one bringing up valid points, but neither backing down. Sora had seen it all before, it was the second time today.  
At first they fought over Fools existence which led to the preceding event; now they couldn't agree on giving all you've got, with May constantly repeating, "If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing."

The Japanese could do only one of two things. Let them wear each other out, or break them up, but at the moment it was too soon into the argument for her to put an end to it, so she resolved to stay put.

**If Layla was here she would have easily stopped the two. I miss the times where she easily took over control and set things right. I still don't have that commanding aura that she has … I might never. If I think about it, I don't think I've met someone with equal strength. **

**She might have told me back then that everyone is weak at times, that I've added to her strength.**

**But the image in my head is still the same … the always strong Layla Hamilton.**

"_Hello?"_ said Fool waving his hand on front of her. _"Are you alright Sora?"_

The girl snapped out of it. _"Huh? What were you saying?"_

"_I was just concerned; you seemed lost there for the past minutes."_

"_I was just thinking."_

"_Pleasant thoughts?"_ teased Fool. Seeing the confused look on Sora's face he added, _"Because you were smiling before I drew your attention."_

**Smiling? Odd … Why would I do that? I wasn't thinking about anything pleasant in particular.**

"_I was just remembering some past events."_

"_Don't get caught in the past and look towards your future."_

"_I know, I know …How is the argument going?" _asked Sora referring to Rosetta and May.

"_Still as strong, if anything it has gotten a lot more intense in the last couple of minutes."_

"_Question is, how to stop them?"_

Sora thought about it for a bit, then came to the only solution at hand.

"_So May, is that all you wanted to know about Fool?"_

"_Actually I had a few other questions." _said the Chinese, easily breaking up the argument. Rosetta also didn't pursue, she too felt as it could have lasted for another hour and still without a clear winner. If she thought about it, all fights with May ended that way.

"_Well ask away."_

"_For starters, now that we've established that he exists, how does he look like?"_

"_Hmm, that's a bit complicated."_

"_Just a rough description."_

Sora also didn't know how to properly describe the spirit.

"_Well, he's tiny, as tall as my palm is long."_

Rosetta continued. _"Long hair …"_

"_Blond, but not a very bright color …" _Sora said, the description switching between the two.

"_Wearing a grey suit …"_

"…_with a vest. "_

"_That's right, a dark vest with golden ornaments."_

"_A big thing, I don't know what its called, over his shoulders."_

"…_red with golden strands hanging from it."_

"_A white mask covering one of his eyes."_

"_Don't forget the red ace of diamonds on it."_

"_Oh yeah, that too."_

"_What else?"_

"_Something like a circlet with a pink crystal on it."_

"_Golden armbands."_

"_His vest stretches on the back and hands around in a spiral."_

"_Is that all?"_ asked May already confused by the image.

"_I think that pretty much sums it up."_ said Sora taking one last look at Fool so that she did not forget anything. _"Ah, yes and wearing an orange ribbon." _She started laughing again.

"_Ha-ha, very funny, now help me take this thing off."_

"_I think it suits you."_

"_Stop joking around and help me with this."_

Sora however wouldn't comply. He struggled to take it off.

"_A little help here Rosetta?"_

"_No. I agree with Sora on this, it does look good on you."_

Fool saw that he would not receive help so he flew away annoyed.

"_Did he just leave?"_

Rosetta and Sora laughed a bit, always amused by playing with the spirit like that. They didn't do it with a malicious intent, it was just too fun.

"_Well is there anything else you want to know?"_

May became a bit serious. _"Yes. Why can you see him?"_

Sora answered._ "As far as he has told me, only those who are destined to be on the stage can see him."_

The lavender-haired girl didn't see how she did it, but her answer brought May's mood down. Rosetta however knew what the problem was and quickly tried to set things right.

"_Now don't think that you don't belong on stage. I, for a matter of fact, know that he watches over all the performers of the stage, including you."_

"_Yes, that's small consolation, but how do you think I can become as good as Layla if I wasn't called to the stage like the two of you?"_

"_Just because you were not called does not mean you don't belong here. I think it's quite amazing that you came here, because you chose to. It doesn't matter if you see him or not. What matters is to do what you came here to do; perform for the crowd."_

Just as quick as the frown settled in, it miraculously lifted as the Chinese girl's good disposition returned. _"If you put it that way."_

Sora was surprised, never before had she seen Rosetta like this, she didn't even notice what May's troubles were. Rosetta however did and dealt with them so quickly and skillfully that it restored May's confidence.

**How did she just do that? I never heard Rosetta speak like this to anyone. Where could she have picked something like this up? ****The only other person who was able to something like this was …** an image flashed before Sora's eyes so quickly it disappeared before she got a chance to blink. But the image was unmistakably clear. **…Layla.**

**Could Rosetta have developed the same confidence-giving aura as Layla? There were other occasions with other where just that was needed, but it failed to show. Could she have adopted this recently? Or is it because of May?**

"_Now that we cleared up that little misunderstanding, we should be going to practice for the next show."_ said Rosetta, pleased to have prevented May to slip into self-accusation.

"_Very well. Sora, will you join us?" _said May looking at the Japanese girl.

But once again, Sora was lost in her thoughts; she had been surprised by Rosetta's recent behavior, but didn't quite understand where it came from. If the red-haired girl had become so tuned with May's thoughts then why didn't she end their initial argument? She was starting to think that both girls fought each other simply for fun. Since Swan Lake, Rosetta and May had become quite close, although you would not have guessed it by the way they were communicating earlier.

"_Sora?"_ repeated May.

"_Huh? You were saying?"_

"_That's really a bad habit, daydreaming like that."_

"_I'm sorry, I just can't think straight today."_

"_I was saying that we were going to go training."_

"_Would you care to join us?" _repeated Rosetta extending a hand towards Sora.

"_I'll join you in a few minutes; I have to clear my head for a bit."_

"_Ok, but don't skip on practice, there are still two days till vacation."_ reminded May.

"_I won't."_

And with that Rosetta and May left. Sora couldn't explain herself. Today started like any other day, but now the last hours spent with Rosetta and May seemed to have provoked something in her. She felt troubled, but she didn't know why. Replaying the recent discussions in her head she further contemplated.

… **we should be going to practice for the next show … Would you care to join us? …**

'**we' … 'us' … Why do I feel like those words mean something to me? Why does it seem that they were talking only like partners? … Come on, where's your head? ****They've performed flawlessly together in the last couple of shows, better than what I managed with Leon.**

**I perform very well with him as well, but why doesn't our partnership seem as deep as the one between Rosetta and May? **

**There is never an 'us' or 'we' between me and him. It's just Sora and Leon. But I've felt such a deep partnership before … with Layla.**

Sora got up and started walking towards the hall.

**Why do all my recent thoughts end in Layla?**

* * *

Thanks for reviewing. Yes, it is SoraXLayla fic, although not as obvious at first.

BIG thanks go to FallingAwakefor proof-reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Layla's Apartment**

The blonde quickly opened the door to her residence and slammed it after her. She felt somehow annoyed with herself and worst of all couldn't really tell what the problem was. She, despite having gone through a rough six-hour training session, didn't bother eating anything but quickly made her way to her bedroom.

There she got out her suitcase and started putting various clothes inside.

**Why? … Why do I feel like this? I have this sense of revulsion for myself lately. Did things stagnate? Has everything become dull to me? While I perform better and better on stage I feel like my personal life has become intolerable.**

Layla stopped with a teal jacket in her hand as her thoughts deepened.

**Personal life? Is that it? Have I lost it all together? Am I just devoted to the stage? I still go on the occasional meetings with other performers and whomever my father sends my way to council me. Cathy also takes me to other events to get my mind off performing.**

She returned to her previous task. With the jacked tucked snugly in her suitcase she closed it, but continued to ponder.

**It does not get my mind of performing … I constantly think about performing … how to improve … how to push myself … So _that's_ it. I have become addicted to performing.**

Layla gazed again at her suitcase, its pale purple color started a line of thought that began calm her down.

**If Sora were here, she would tell me something… Something elegantly simple which I have forgotten. She would help me.**

Her tension somewhat erased she got up and took her suitcase.

**But I can't call on her every time I have a problem. She has her own duties and responsibilities. Catering to me is not one of them.**

She wanted to make sure everything was in order before she left and made a quick check. However in her living-room she abruptly stopped. There was little that could spook her and this was certainly not one of those things.

"_Can't I ever go somewhere secretly without you noticing?"_

"_Not on my watch."_

Layla sighed. _"Very well Cathy, sit down and I'll make us some coffee."_

Cathy took a seat on one of the two opposing couches, but instead of sitting, laid herself across it resting her head in the armrest, playing with something in her hand. A few minutes later Layla returned and she sat up again and hid the object she had been toying with.

"_So how did you manage to get in? Did you pay the maid to open the door?"_

"_No."_ said Cathy amused.

"_Did you flirt with the manager and get the spare key?"_

"_No." _she said getting more amused.

"_Did you steal my keys while I wasn't looking and made yourself a copy?" _Layla's earlier tension started to show itself again.

"_That's a good idea, but no. I used these." _she said throwing the thing she had been playing with previously.

They were Layla's actual keys and she quickly pieced how Cathy had obtained them. In her haste she had left the keys on the outside of the door.

"_I think this proves my hunch. I was right to follow you."_

"_So then, where are you off to now? You won't leave without a word like last time."_

"_I haven't decided yet."_

"_I thought so; well this time we'll find you a nice vacation and not cut ourselves off from the rest of the world." _

"_Anywhere is just fine, but sure, go ahead and chose." _

_"Wait, I've got a better idea."_ Cathy replied as she got up and snatched one of the ornaments off one of the counters. It was a miniature globe, more ornamental than functional, but it would do the trick. _"Let fate decide this time." __  
_  
Cathy gave the globe a good spin and set it in front of Layla. The blond sighed again; she disliked whenever Cathy would do something childish like this, but she admitted not having chosen a destination and figured this could solve this problem right now. She stretched out her index finger and stopped the revolving spinning globe. She raised and eyebrow curiously. Cathy seeing the surprised expression, got over to Layla's side and became equally surprised.

"_Africa?"_

"_That's interesting."_

"_Couldn't it have been a nice place, like Australia or Ireland?"_

"_Come to think of it, in all my travels my father took me on I have yet to go there."_

"_Right, well it's your vacation."_

"_With that out of the way I just have to get my ticket and …"_

She was cut off as the mobile phone on the small coffee-table started ringing. She picked up the phone and saw on the display who it was.

"_It's my father."_

"_I know."_

Layla didn't even bother trying to figure out what Cathy meant by that and answered.

"_Hello father."_

"_Layla! It's good that I could talk to you before left."_

"_Who told you I was …" _she stopped in mid-sentence and looked peeved at Cathy who couldn't help but snicker.

"_Right, well what did you want to speak to me about?" _

"_I just wanted you to slow down a bit, let me chose your accommodation and airfare."_

"_Really, you don't have to, a normal airline and hotel will be fine."_

"_I can't allow that. What if word spreads around that the famous Layla Hamilton traveled around like some poor low-class commoner. Bad press, I assure you."_

"_Always the businessman."_

"_I can do at least this for you; so where are you going?" _

"_Africa."_

"_Hmm … well that's quite an unusual destination. Wait let me see if … yes there is one of our hotels there … near Etosha. I'll organize your flight and get back to you later."_

"_Thank you."_

"_No need to thank me, I'm just trying to show my daughter how much I care for her."_

"_I love you too. Goodbye."_

She grumbled the last words as she didn't want to appear too casual in front of Cathy, but also the word she mentioned seemed somewhat hard to say.

**Love … I hope I can ever love more than just performing.**

"_So it's settled."_

"_Yes, thanks to you Cathy."_ She replied sarcastically.

"_I'm just helping out a friend, you can't blame me for that."_

"_You don't have to help me behind my back."_

"_No I don't, but it sure is fun."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Training Hall**

Sora hoped to shed some light on her current state of mind, but still couldn't grasp what the problem was. In the end she resorted to keep herself busy as there were still two days of the current production left.

**Maybe I'll be able to move on after this show ends. A vacation would be a nice break. **

It brought her mood up a bit thinking that she finally would have some time to rest her body and mind.

Sora, deep in her thoughts, walked slowly to the training hall. Noises became apparent as she approached closer. It was not the usual rumble that accompanied the training sessions, it was something else.  
People were talking, talking a lot. Something was definitely up. Sora then heard a door slam and seeing how it was not the one she was heading to figured it to be the back door. A loud cheer rang out just as Sora opened the front door. Puzzled at what she had just missed, Sora turned to Mia who was sat a chair nearby.

"_What's happening?"_

"_Hey! Didn't you hear? Vacation starts today. Kalos informed us."_

Sora understood the loud cheer now, but still saw the others clustered on the mattress overjoyed about their early holiday, but discussing something.

"_You tell them it's a waste of time."_ demanded May, but Sora didn't know what she was referring to; there was only one way she would find out.

Sora hated to resort to her position within the stage to get their attention, but everyone was too excited to notice her.

She loudly clapped twice. _"Ok, what is all the commotion about? With the vacation starting today you should all go home and rest."_

Sora was no Layla Hamilton, but she got their attention and everyone ceased their chatter. Rosetta quickly jumped in to explain, equally excited as the others.

"_Sora, Sora, we all have got an great idea for the first day of vacation. Sit down and let me explain."_

Sora complied and took a seat on one of the trampolines. _"What did you have in mind?"_

"_Well you know that some of this year's rookies have started to cause trouble amongst themselves; they're taking friendly competition a bit too far by taking their frustrations out on each other." _

Sora now understood what the commotion was shortly before they started cheering.

"_You don't mean …?"_

"_No. They haven't fought, but who knows how much more it'll take? They possessed quite the sharp tongue__. Things can't progress like this if we all are supposed to be one big team."_

"_Agreed, but what exactly do you intend to do about it?"_

"_Well, as this is the first day of vacation and no one has made plans yet we thought we should all go out and have some fun."_

"_Hmm …and you think that they could solve their differences by taking them out into town?"_

"_Not just them, everyone, including you and the cast. We can't take Marion with us however. Her father is not allowing her because she's too young."_

"_Aren't you a bit young yourself?"_

"_Actually yes, but I have full responsibility over myself."_

Sora remembered Rosetta having mentioned it before. If it was not true, Rosetta would not have been able to travel alone all the other times. Her mother arranged a special privileges permit for her, taking advantage of a loop-hole in regulations. However going out was not what Rosetta's mother had in mind, but she wasn't here so this time Sora could make an exception.

"_Tell her it's crazy."_ yelled May at them, not wanting to be involved. She didn't like such events and never participated in them.

"_You're coming too." _yelled Rosetta back at her, knowing the furious look she would get, but that is what she was counting on. Convincing May to go would need to wait for the moment as Sora needed to hear their plan.

"_So in plain terms you want to take everyone to a party?" _

"_Yes, however just the young ones here, eighteen is the maximum."_

"_Have you decided where?"_

"_Any place is just fine, but we have three requirements. One, we should go in the dead of night. Two, we **all **need to go. And three, it needs to be a place where we can dance." _

"_I see, so we just have to find a club."_

"_This is …"_

"_Crazy!" _yelled May again.

"…_interesting."_

May quickly got up. _"You can't be seriously considering it."_

"_Why not? Seems to be a good idea, unless you have a better idea to solve the conflicts between the rookies."_

The Chinese took a moment to consider it, but didn't come up with an alternative … a non-violent one.

"_So it's settled, if we can pull this off everyone will come."_

"_Not me, I won't have anything to do with this madness."_

Rosetta jumped in seeing the right moment to convince May. _"Aw, why not? I'm sure you'll have fun"_

"_It's apparent that we have different definitions of the word 'fun'."_

"_I think it's apparent that you don't want to come because you don't know how to dance in clubs."_

"_I can very well dance in any club!"_

"_Then prove it."_

"_I will!" _May yelled and sat down again. Rosetta couldn't help but smile. **Works every time. **She knew that to get May to do something one needed to attack her ego. She saw the ripe moment and was eagerly expecting tonight's party. Sora however was concerned.

"_Ok, wait now, let's not go over our heads. We will have to let Kalos know about this."_

"_Of course we will, that's why we want you to talk to him."_

"_Me?"_

"_Who else? You are the top star, I'm sure he'll listen to you."_

"_Fine."_

Another round of cheers as Sora accepted her task. If she was going to earn their respect she would not just have to perform flawlessly, but help them off-stage as well.

"_Wish me luck."_ She said half-heartedly as left for the boss's office. Everyone cheered for her again; she hoped she would be able to pull through, but knowing Kalos it would not be easy.

**The Boss's Office**

"_I still don't get it." _said a satin blond woman.

"_I think I'm entitled to spend my earning in any way I want." _

"_Sometimes I really don't understand you, Kalos. It's just a chair, why would you need a new one?" _

"_I had that chair since I founded this stage and I think it's time I got a new one."_

"_Then wouldn't you rather keep the old one for sentimental value? I mean it's still in pretty good shape."_

"_New times bring change."_

"_Have it your way, but at least don't throw away the old one. I'll take it if you don't want it."_

"_Do you think you can find any use for it?"_

"_It's a chair, I'll sit in it! Come to think of it, how about making this the dorm supervisor's chair? That means I share your spot at this desk."_

"_Sarah … "_

Kalos really didn't like her proposal. He needed to keep a professional manner at least in his own officeBut that didn't stop Sarah as she moved the two chairs together. The older one was slightly smaller then the new one, but both were big executive leather chairs.

Sarah saw that Kalos wasn't very keen on her idea, but she knew that he appreciated the strange ideas she brought with her, maybe it was even one of the traits he enjoyed in her.

"_Well, because I'm dorm manager, it means I'm technically your second in command. So, I think I deserve a place next to you." _

"_Technically Yuri is my second in command since he partnered up with me."_

"_That's not fair."_** Fine. If you want to play like this. **

Sarah inched closer to Kalos, much, _much_ closer, and looked directly into his eyes. _"Please Kalos … for me."_

Kalos knew it was impossible to fight those sweet stares Sarah gave him; it was one of the things that made him lose his nerve. Surrender in defeat was the only option for him.

"_Fine." _Kalos said giving in.

"_Thank you." _she said briefly, adding a short but sweet kiss.

Kalos didn't really need that kind of compensation, but he had no reason to complain. It was always Sarah who brought variety into his life.

"…_but only for today."_

"_Fine."_ Sarah sighed, she knew when she would not get any further with Kalos, but this stubbornness was one of the things she loved in him.

Both sat down.

"_Wow, so this is how it feels like to be the boss behind the desk."_

"_Something wrong?"_

"_It feels pretty good."_

"_Don't tell me you want to have your own office now."_

Sarah laughed at his remark; it was rare for him to make any kind of joke as he was usually the focused businessman.

"_It's funny though, we look like two monarchs sitting like this."_

"…_I don't mind, as long as I am king."_

Sarah laughed again harder this time, turning in her chair towards Kalos. Seeing however that the chair could rotate so easily, Sarah instead gave herself a good push with her foot.

"_Wee!"_

Kalos sighed, he had only himself to blame, but seeing a woman of her age and maturity still capable of fun made him smile.

However he then heard a knock at the door and stopped Sarah. She had gotten a bit dizzy.

"_Owner? May I come in? It's me, Sora."_

"_Come in" _he answered. Kalos then turned to Sarah_. "Enough fun for now, try and be a bit more serious."_

"_I'm sorry for disturbing." _said Sora closing the door after her.

"_No need to apologize. Please take a seat." _answered Kalos.

**He's in a good mood. It must be because of Sarah. I might actually convince him.**

Seeing however how awkward both looked at the desk she couldn't help but ask.

"_Are the king and the queen permitting me an audience with them?"_

"_Yes they are." _said Sarah continuing the joke. _"Come forth loyal subject. Your request has been granted."_

"_I am honored." _said Sora bowing in front of them, then starting to laugh with Sarah.

Kalos just rolled his eyes a bit annoyed; he started regretting buying the new chair.

"_What is it you wanted to talk about?"_

"_Ah yes, I nearly forgot. I think you should know about this."_

"_Did something happen?"_

"_No, no, nothing bad happened, but the cast and crew all want to go out this evening."_

"_And why may I ask?"_

"_Well, I think you know the recent troubles with the rookies. Everyone came up with the idea that taking them out into town for a party would bring them closer together."_

"_Who suggested this?"_

"_Everyone did. Well, almost everyone. Rosetta however seems to be the only one brave enough to ask me about this." _

"_And what do you think?"_

"_Well, I think it could work, but I don't think it'll be this easy."_

"_Ok, this is my department Kalos." _said Sarah _"Sora, you have to understand things are a lot more complicated."_

"_I thought so, but what would we have to do?"_

"_Well, most of the new crew and cast are eighteen or under, yourself included. The eighteen year-olds can go wherever they want, but those under are still under parental care. We will have to ask each parent for permission and it's bound that some will not allow it."_

"_So what should we do?"_

"_I don't really know."_

"_What if we signed the event under a regular show but just at a different place?"_

"_Put the club as a stage and you as performers?"_

"_Not good?"_

"_No, it might work, but it's not that easy, we will have to announce the sponsors, do all the paper work."_

"_What can I say; I think it will be worth it."_

"_If we do this however, we will choose the place where you will 'perform'." _

"_Did you have any place in mind?"_

"_I think so. Kalos do you remember Vincent?"_

"_You mean your friend from England?"_

"_Yes, the one you never let perform with us because you and Andy didn't like his type of music."_

"_Well even you have to admit it didn't fit our show."_

"_I know, I know. But he just happened to be in Cape Merry, promoting his new club."_

"_And is he playing his type of music there … what did he call the genre?"_

"_Drum and Bass."_

"_Right. You think they should have their evening there?"_

"_I think so, I can trust them; they should have a fun night of dancing." _

"_So are you allowing it?" _interrupted Sora.

"_Yes, go and tell them it will be alright."_

"_Kalos, do you also agree?"_

"_I have nothing against it, if it benefits the stage." _answered the man.

**That was easier than I expected. **_"Thank you, both of you."_

Sora left and after she did Kalos asked Sarah.

"_Why did you want them to go to Vincent's club?"_

"_It's not exactly a club, that's why. They will just dance there and most importantly of all alcohol is not allowed."_

"_I see, so none of the kids will do anything stupid."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Not bad, you handled that well."_

"_That's what queens do."_

Sora was happy to have succeeded and was eager to tell everyone the good news. As she opened the door everyone inside looked at her with expressions ranging from hopeful, bored to pure dread.

May was the first one to notice the triumphant smile. _"Oh god."_

After that, a strong round of cheerful cries echoed throughout the large training hall. Tonight, Kaleido Stage would go out to party.


	5. Chapter 5

**Blue Rubin**

Always the critic … well before you go judging my idea you have to think of the scale of the party. As an adept of the series there are at least 20-30 new rookies each year and among the fully employed about 40 are surely under or exactly 18 years old.

Nice to see you too, I rarely catch you on Yahoo Messenger anymore.

**dc-me4**

Yeah, sorry about the crappy summary, I was thinking of changing it as well, still a "(LxS)" is a bit to obvious and if there's one thing I hate, it's the obvious.

A fellow Romanian? That's a pleasent surprise 

**rasenganer**

Thank you, I really am striving to not at all make this out of character.

And yeah, there is an awfully short supply of Layla and Sora … for whatever reason … odd considering all the official art and fanart … ok, I'll shut up.

**Sailor Sayuri**

I'm glad you like it so much, it's a good question how they can possibly come together if they are on different continents … well, let me tell you that this is far from over, you'll be surprised what will happen, or I hope you will.

**ChibiChloe**

Yes, May is pretty damn awesome  like so many of the Kaleido Star characters. I hope to put in some more moments with the side-characters as well, makes it all more interesting.

**crazyhorse**

Don't worry about being lazy, happens to the best of us 

Sorry for grammar, Falling Awake sent me the suggestions, but I lacked the time to update it. I'll get on that right now.

**night-rainbow27**

Thank you for taking some time to read, I know that you are busy with your own fic as well. Nice to see you stop by.

**Tachibana**

Cathy sure is awesome  and yeah _huzzah!_ for Layla, Africa better be prepared. 

**Yuffie**

 Right back at you; never forget to use the sig I made, spread the love!

All of you, thanks for reviewing. I'm really sorry for writing them so short, but it's the only way I can write and not neglect my other duties. I'm sorry. I'll try to write some more as soon as I can, oh and be on the lookout as I hope to make some wallpapers as well. I will announce when  also if I get some tracks I'll link certain places with certain songs, the club-scene as will be, most of all because the song will be a key part in the story, one of triggers one could say. Right, enough for now.

**Falling Awake**

Man, you make my life easier, it will be some time until I can write in somewhat of a natural-sounding English, but you're suggestions are damn good too.

Do not forget this guy my dear readers, for he makes it a lot easier for you.

That's it for now, I hope you will enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

"_Are you sure we haven't met before?"_ asked the middle-aged woman.

Layla was starting to lose her patience with the cab-driver. She just wanted to get to the airport to catch her flight, so she called a cab, but she couldn't have guessed, that the woman behind the steering-wheel was this talkative. All the way Layla tried to remain silent and not engage in any conversation, but that didn't seem to stop the female driver.

"_I am certain."_

"_I swear I know your face from somewhere. Would you mind taking off your sunglasses so I can see you better?" _she asked looking in the rearview mirror.

"_Yes. I would mind."_

**Of all the taxis in New York, I have to get into the one with a chatter-box.**

The woman however would not give up and turned around, barely holding the steering-wheel_. "Please, I'm sure you have very pretty eyes"_ she begged.

"_Concentrate on driving, not on me."_

After a few seconds, the woman finally complied and turned back to focus on the road, a slight smirk visible on her face._ "The stunning way you look and your beautiful eyes, which I am sure you have, I think there is no man that could resist you." _

Layla didn't respond; she was silently fuming at the back of the driver's head.

For so many years she received compliments on her 'beautiful' looks, but dismissed them as shallow attempts at flattery. Layla would rather be complimented on her achievements in performing on the stage or in her films. Credit should only be taken when it was earned, not inborn.

"_Hey! That gives me an idea. If I can guess the color of your eyes you'll give me a hundred dollar tip."_

Layla was not in the mood for humoring the woman and looked back at her through the rearview mirror.

"_Please concentrate on driving."_

"_Oh, come on. They can be blue, green or brown. That's a one in three chance, you can take the risk."_

"_Stop wasting my time."_

At that remark the woman's face brightened. _"They're blue aren't they?"_

Layla didn't answer. Sensing ice crawling up the back of her neck, the other woman also became quiet now- even though she knew she had guessed correctly- but it also meant that her customer had reached the end of her patience.

However, a few traffic-lights later the silence was broken as the cab Layla was in was cut off sharply by another one. Their cab almost collided with the other vehicle.

Layla's cab-driver was not happy about that_. "Son of a …" _

She frantically switched lanes, and sped up to drive alongside the other cab until both vehicles came to a stop at a red light in a big intersection. She rolled down the window on the passenger side and stuck her head out. She then started pounding furiously on the window of the other cab with her fist.

"_What the hell is wrong with you?"_

The other cab had darker tinted windows which rolled down. A man's voice was heard before Layla could see him.

"_You never answer to your station; this is the only way I can get your attention."_

"_Damn it Michael, I told you to be careful when doing that. Almost hit you!" _

The middle-aged black man smiled at her.

"_Whadup Roadkill?"_

"_I told you to stop calling me that!"_

"_Come on, the name stuck to you since you started."_

"_That doesn't mean I have to like it. Really, what do my customers think when you call me that?"_

"_All part of being a cab-driver."_

"_So says Madman Michael." _she answered hoping, that calling the man by his nickname would annoy him, just as much as it did her. But to her dismay the man's smile widened instead.

"_Man, this red light always takes for ever." _she noted trying to change the subject.

"_Yeah, well I'm on my break, you joining?"_

"_Got my last fare for this afternoon, I'm not working through rush-hour again."_

"_You do that."_

"_Is that light broke or what?"_ she commented, half joking half genuinely annoyed. Now they had been waiting for a few good minutes for the light to change. "So what's your _progress on Tina?"_

"_Same old, same old. Her dad still doesn't consider me good enough."_

"_Well, that's how fathers are." _

"_Yeah, but the way things are going..."_ he smiled sadly, _"I don't think I can muster enough courage to ask him for his daughter's hand." _

**Courage?** thought Layla as she, despite pretending not to be interested, was listening to the two drivers.

"_Romeo and Juliet, huh?"_

"_More like Prince and the Pauper."_ answered Michael. _"Anyway, you still holding up on your end of the bet?" _

"_I got all the decent ones today, no way you collected a bigger tip than me,"_ she confidently replied.

"_Well if you feel so confident, how about raising the bet to two hundred?"_

"_You're on!"_ the woman declared, sealing the wager with a quick handshake.

Michael shook his head, 'victory' written all over his smug face. _"You're going to regret that." _

"_Why is that?"_

"_Because I got almost got five hundred on this morning's sweep." _

"_You son of a …"_

"_Light's green. Gotta go."_ interrupted Michael before quickly speeding off.

"_Damn it; I'm eighty dollars short."_ she cursed to herself as she began driving again. But the bet was sealed and she had to comply.

The female driver sighed and remembered that she still had one customer left before she had to resign to defeat. The traffic became lighter as they got closer to the airport.

"_So, where were we?"_

"_You were driving me to the airport."_

"_Right. So, what is your reason to leave good old New York?"_

"_That is my own concern."_

"_You're troubled aren't you?"_

Layla again was surprised by the directness of this woman and didn't say a thing.

The cabbie took Layla's silence as an admission to the truth_. "I've driven cabs since I got my driving permit and since then, I've met many a people over the years. I think I'm quite capable in judging them." _

"_Even if you are right, what are you suggesting?"_

"_We'll be at the airport in ten minutes; you could tell me what your troubles are."_

It surprised Layla just how good-willed or simply nosy this woman was, but as much as she wanted to she could bring herself to talk about it.

"_There is nothing you can do." _

"_You don't have to act so cold, you know. You can't do everything yourself."_

"_It's not that, I can't tell you my problem for the simple reason of not knowing what it is myself."_

"_I see."_ the woman responded solemnly; there was indeed nothing she could do.

"_But, I thank you for your concern."_

Layla smiled at her slightly through the rear view mirror. There was no reason to act dismissive towards the driver as she was a good and honest person, despite her chatty nature. Not to mention her obvious gambling problem.

For the remainder of the trip both remained silent, until they reached their destination.

"_Airport. That makes twenty-nine ninety-five."_

Layla gave her they money and got out of the car with her suitcase.

"_Excuse me Miss, but you gave me a hundred and thirty."_

"_Yes, that's how much the way here cost."_

"_Look, Miss, I know you overheard me and my friend talking about our bet, but you really don't have to do this." _

"_I do what I choose to."_

"_Please, I can not accept this."_

Layla now would not relent and took two short steps back towards the cabbie.

"_It's not a gift; you won."_ she said, taking off her sunglasses.

_"They are blue."_ the cabbie mumbled, just now remembering the small wager she had placed earlier. But now she got a good look at just who was standing right in front of her, and simply stood there awestruck. Her eyes had widened ten-fold. Without the sunglasses she could now fully see the blond woman's face and instantly recognized her.

"_You … you're …L … Lay … Layla Hamilton."_

"_Goodbye and thank you."_ said the blond waving slightly, before turning around and heading towards the sliding glass doors. A tiny smile barely visible on her lips.

Before stepping in to lobby, Layla quickly replaced her mirrored shades to avoid detection from any fans. It was a good thing too, because the airport was as she expected- busy, but she quickly made her way through the mass of people coming and going..

Layla insisted that her father should not waste resources for her travels so she was going to fly on a commercial airline, not the Hamilton private jet. She proceeded to the correct ticket counter line, and stood to wait. Things seemed to be moving smoothly as her turn came in a few minutes. Considering it was New York, it could be considered a small miracle. After checking in her luggage and receiving her boarding passes, she proceeded to the baggage check.

"_Please put your bag on the conveyor belt." _

"_Certainly."_

Layla placed her backpack in a tray and set it on the belt. It disappeared into the darkness of the machine. A few short seconds later, the belt stopped. A security guard looked to the x-ray video, and took the backpack out.

"_Please open your bag." _

"_Is there something wrong?"_

"_Oh no, it's just standard procedure Miss. Heightened security, you know." _

Layla opened her suitcase and let the woman together with her assistant go through her belongings. However, something small and shiny caught the light, and she recognized it immediately.

_"Can I at least have my cell phone?" _

The security handed the device to Layla. She distinctly remembered putting it on the table, determined not to take it on her trip. She did not want to be disturbed at all for anything. But then it dawned on her that she did leave it alone for the briefest of seconds **…Cathy!**

Suddenly an idea popped into her head.

"_Excuse me, but is there a way to send a package from here?" _

"_Yes, there is a small postal office just up ahead. Here's your bag; every thing's fine."_

"_Thank you."_ said Layla as she swung her backpack on and headed to where the security guard indicated.

This time, Layla would not give in to her partner's games; she was determined to send the cellphone back. Out of precaution, she also wanted to let everybody back at the Kaleido Stage know that she would be taking a vacation. She did not want to concern her friends.

She only had a few numbers of the Kaleido Stage personnel stored in her phone: Kalos, Sora, Yuri, and Sarah. She quickly decided to send the message to Sora, knowing to have seriously concerned the girl the last time she left without a word. **She's probably the only one who would be worried. **

Determined to not worry the Kaleido Star, Layla began to text a message. Her fingers however stopped as she didn't exactly know what to write.

"**I'll be leaving for about two weeks, don't follow."**

**No, that sounds too mean.**

"**Going to Africa, wish you were here."**

**No, then she might actually come.**

"**Taking some time off. Leaving the country for the duration of my vacation."**

**That's not good, she might see I'm troubled and will most definitely follow me. **

Layla started to think that maybe she could arrange things so that Sora could come with her; she might enjoy the trip more with her company, but dropped that idea quickly, knowing that Sora had responsibilities of her own, and could not abandon them, even for a short while. She became frustrated not being able to find the right words, something she usually could do instantly. Layla considered it one last time and quickly wrote two words. **"On vacation."**

With that problem out of the way she turned the phone off, and handed it to the worker assigned with the mail service. She completed the mail form and signed it.

"_Thank you Miss, do you want to send a note with the package as well?"_

Layla considered for a moment. _"Yes."_

The worker gave her a small sheet of paper and a pen. This time Layla had no troubles finding suitable words as she was sending this note with the phone back to Cathy.

"**Nice try." **she thought and wrote.

Pleased, now that this ordeal was taken care of, Layla paid for the delivery. She then made her way to the terminal and took a seat. A quick glance at her watch told her that she still had a good hour before her flight was to depart. She sighed and tried to relax.

But only a few minutes later, Layla found herself getting nervous. She was after all, not just taking time off to solve her inner conflicts, but to also visit a place she had never seen before … But maybe that was all she needed, a change of scenery.

* * *

Hey, my dear readers, I hope you are enjoying the latest chapter; it sure is fun writing, although time to do it is short.

In any case I said you should look out for announcement of wallpapers, well it's time for on right now :D

Links do not appear to work within the story, so check my profile.

Until next time.


	6. Chapter 6

I hope again that you people liked the wallpaper. In case you missed it, go back to the 5th chapter, the link is in my profile.

* * *

"_Are we there yet?"_

"_Anna! Would you stop asking already? … Really, it was funny only the first time." _said Mia silencing her friend after having posed the same question too many times. Anna relented.

However if Anna stopped asking, further in the back a rookie had to start again_. "Are we there yet?" _

"_Not yet!" shouted the girl._

"_How much farther is it?"_

"_Only a few blocks."_

A verbal rumble of sorts began between the young talents, and Mia started cursing under her breath; she hoped the night would compensate for the horrible trip. It was, in fact her idea to go by foot into town and it seemed to be a good idea at the time. She however had not expected most of them to be this impatient; she usually saw them as quite mature. Now she realized that she only knew them when they were working, in their free time they turned into quite annoying teenagers.

Sora, May and Rosetta were at the head of the group. From a distance they looked like a big mob and it was fortunate that the town seemed less busy at this night so no one could get lost or intentionally leave. Rosetta kept a close eye on May in that regard. The group was getting evermore anxious as they couldn't wait for much longer.

Rosestta couldn't contain her anticipation of the event and seemed to know what was about to come. May on the other hand was not looking forward to it and assumed her usual annoyed manner. Sora, unlike the rest was quite tired, she did not have the habit of staying up too late and it was past midnight, however she was happy as she could gather all the young performers and crew of the stage together. Indeed Rosetta's conditions had been fulfilled as everyone had come, the hour was late and Sarah had guaranteed them a place to dance.

Mia, who was watching over the younger ones with Anna and Ken had a hard time and had to yell a couple of times, now however it seemed to have calmed down.

The silence however didn't last, that same voice in an irritated tone asked.

"_Are we there yet?"_

"_No!" _shouted Mia.

"_Come on, how much farther is it?"_

"_We didn't come all this way, at this late hour to take walks, we want to have fun!"_

"_Yeah!"_

The young performers started to join in against Mia; she could no longer control them. However, just before things got out of hand a loud shrilling noise was heard. Everyone covered their ears until it stopped.

"_What was that?"_

After the buzzing in their ears subsided they looked around and saw that Sora was the cause of the noise. In her hand she held a whistle similar to that of a coach which was tied around her neck. Surprisingly, no one had noticed it until now.

"_Listen up all of you!" _she said with a commanding tone which was unusual for her. _"I did not go through all the trouble to organize this event and complete forms for each of you in order to have you whine the whole way."_

"_Thank you." _said Mia walking past Sora, exhausted.

_"Hey, we didn't want to come in the first place."_ complained a young girl.

Now Roestta jumped in. _"Don't give me that, I asked you all if you would come and everyone agreed, including you."_

"_So? What if we changed our mind?"_

It started to look like they where never going to make it to the club at this rate if all they were going to do was bicker.

"_You little … "_

Again, a long shrill resounded in the streets. Rosetta was ready to have a go at the girl, but Sora placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear, calming her._ "I'll handle this." _

"_I don't care if you want to come or not, the papers are signed and you'd better contain yourselves until we arrive."_

"_And what if I we don't?"_ challenged the same girl.

Sora looked directly at her in a very serious manner, so serious it didn't resemble Sora at all.

"_Do you want to be assigned training with Leon?"_

The girl shut up after that

"_Even better, do you want to play a rock in the next play?"_

Knowing Sora was top-star and Mia head-director the rumble died away, as they had serious influence over their careers at Kaleido Stage. Up until now Sora had rarely been strict to them, but she needed to impose herself more.

"_Then it's settled."_ concluded the Kaleido Star and started walking again.

"_That was quite impressive …"_ said Mia.

"_Thank you."_

"… _and unexpected."_

"_New times bring change."_

Mia laughed. _"I never thought I would be saying this, but you've grown up."_

"_Are you saying I'm not serious?"_

"_Need I remind you just who climbed up all the way to the top of the Kaleido Stage tent?" _

"_I just …"_

"_wanted to see the view, I know."_

"_That not lack of seriousness, its curiosity."_

"_Is it?" _Mia laughed again leaving Sora to think about what she said. But it was too late for the Kaleido Star to give it serious thought. Rosestta ran up to the two, whom had distanced themselves somewhat from the rest of the crowd without even noticing.

"_Ok, they're quiet for now."_

"_Good, there still is a good distance until we arrive."_

"_What was with you just back there? I never saw you like that before."_

Sora smiled. _"I learn from the best."_ **…Layla. **

"_And where did you get this from?" _Roestta pointed to the whistle.

"_This? Sarah gave it to me, she said it would come in handy."_

A couple of minutes later Rosetta again could not contain her anxiety and asked.

"_Are we there ..." _but her sentence was finished as Mia pinched the girl in her shoulder.

"_Ow! Why did you do that?"_

With a very frightening look as if she was about to go insane Mia answered. _"If I hear that phrase one more time, I'll go crazy."_

Rosetta reconsidered for a moment, then asked again.

"_Is it still far away from our designated location?"_

"_A bit." _answered Sora. _"What was that club called again?"_

"_Dnb District."_

Rosetta snickered as she heard the name. But Sora and Mia didn't get it.

"_And what does that 'Dnb' stand for?"_

"_I'm not totally sure, but according to Sarah it stands for something like Drums and Bass." _

Again Rosetta snickered, barely suppressing her laughter. Again, the other two girls did not know what to make of it.

"_And did she tell you why she chose that place?"_

"_Not really, just that a friend of hers from England owns it. "_

"_I see."_

"_I'm guessing she wants to help him gain a reputation for the club."_

"_Seems like it. Oh well, at least we have a place to dance." _

At the mention of the word 'dance' Rosetta couldn't contain her laughter.

"_What's with her?"_

"_I don't know, she's been acting like that since I first told her where Sarah suggested."_

"_You think she knows more than she's telling us?" _

"_Definitely."_ answered Sora, then waited for Rosetta to contain herself. _"Now I'm sure you have something to tell us." _

Rosetta stopped completely from laughing and was holding her stomach breathing deeply. _"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself in to."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I rarely heard of these kind of clubs in the States, it's much more secretive here apparently." _

"_Huh?"_

"_I'm talking about Drum and Bass."_

"_What's so special about it?"_

"_Well, I don't know how famous it is in Japan, but in Europe it is quite a mainstream genre. Mia you should know, after all, you're from Holland."_

Mia took some time to consider, and then remembered. _"Not really, I think I heard about it a few years ago, but I can't recall anything."_

"_I don't understand Rosetta."_ said Sora looking at her_. "Even if this is different kind of music, it still is music, right? I mean why make a fuss over it?" _

"_I agree. It's not that big of a deal, but I can't help but laugh when I'm thinking what you'll go through... especially May." _

"_Is there something we should know?"_

"_Just one thing, that Sarah gave you the best place for dancing."_

"_How come?"_

"_Well, to put it simply, it's incredibly fast. You'll basically dance with every muscle in your body." _

"_I still don't understand why this should be so special."_

"_Well unlike other clubs here, you truly will have a fun night dancing. If Sarah knows this person well enough to trust, then we won't have to worry for a thing. No rude people drinking and starting who knows what. Drum and Bass is just about one thing: dancing with body and mind. You don't dance to impress or get to know someone like it is commonly these days; you just dance your heart out until you fall down. It's just about dancing and having a good time without having to worry."_

"_Don't you think you're a bit too convinced? I mean what you just described is hardly valid these days." _

"_Well you're right, but if Sarah knows as much as I do then you will see that there are exceptions."_

"_Which begs the question … How do you know of such things?" _

"_Well I've spent twelve years in Europe." _

"_Your first twelve years." _corrected Sora. _"How can a child at that age have learned of such things? I mean most of us were still excited when we were allowed to have a slumber-party."_

"_That's actually a interesting story."_

"_We'll be walking for another quarter hour, so you can tell us."_

"_Very well. It all started when I was about nine." _

"_Nine!?" _Sora exclaimed in disbelief, but saw that Rosetta was serious.

"_Yes, nine. At that time my mother and I were in London as I had some performances there, but she also had to frequently visit and follow a local music artist. However because the appearances were planned at night my mother had to leave me alone in the hotel on many occasions."_

"_Must've been hard for you."_

"_At first, yeah, but then I got used to it. I could hardly sleep when she was not around so I spent a few nights awake, trying to tire myself to sleep. Diabolo helped sometimes but after performing three shows in one day I wasn't too keen using them." _

"_Continue." _Prompted Mia as the story was starting to catch her interest.

"_Well, on one of those nights where I had performed a couple of times in the day, I tried to find something to do and it was already one hour until midnight and I still wasn't tired enough."_

_But then, I heard something. It was coming from outside and I rushed to the balcony to try and see where it came from. _

_Across the street from where the hotel was I found a place I had not noticed before. It looked like an ordinary shop in the day, but now it was full of people, lights and sound. I could not make out the music, but it seemed energetic._

_I listened from a distance about an hour until people started gushing out of the place, going into the street. A few minutes later two large speakers also were brought out._

_Now I could fully see and hear what was going on in there, and boy was I impressed! I had never heard such a high-tempo melody or seen so many people dance before. They all looked so happy doing nothing but dancing, not caring for anything else, despite that they were in the middle of the street. _

_I tried to copy their movements and started dancing on my own on the balcony, but I still didn't understand how to do it properly. _

_However, I couldn't observe them any longer. The police arrived after, I'm guessing, someone on the vicinity wasn't too enchanted by their outdoor session and led them back inside. No one got arrested and they just received a warning." _

"_Then what happened?" _asked Sora also starting to wonder where this story would lead.

"_The night after that, my mother again had to leave me alone because of this music artist. I didn't mind, I would get another chance to see those people dance again._

_After two hours of waiting, there was no sign of them. It looked like they didn't want to repeat the scene from yesterday night. I was disappointed; I really wanted to see them again." _

"_So what did you do?"_

"_Well, for the first time since I can remember- I ran away. My mother never worried that I would go anywhere and left me a key in case something happened and I had to leave the room._ _I opened the door and quickly ran down the stairs and crossed the street."_

"_Weren't you afraid to go there? I mean who knows what you encountered."_

"_At that time I was a little bit, but I was more determined to see and learn how to dance. I opened the door to the club and was surprised how big it actually was and how many people were inside. __The lights were so much brighter and amazing than the first time I had seen, and the sound was even louder than what I had heard._ pause

_Again I watched all the people dance, totally oblivious to everything around them, until however a woman bumped into me._

_She asked me what I was doing here, and I quickly told her I lived nearby and that I wanted to learn how to dance like them. The woman looked at me, then suggested that I should go home before my parents would be worried. I protested that I would not leave until I learned how to correctly dance."_

"_And? Did she send you back home?"_

"_No, she must've seen how determined I was and extended her hand to me._

_I was reluctant at first, but one look at her eyes and I knew I could trust her. I took her hand and she quickly flung me on her shoulders. We headed to the big mass of people in the center and went through it; all the way she was still dancing, spinning, but still slow enough so I would not fall off."_

"_What then?"_

"_I could now fully feel what this was about, my rib-cage was vibrating to the deep pounding bass, and I was exhilarated._ _The woman danced her way through the crowd, the sound getting stronger, and then I saw where she was heading; to the man behind the music."_

"_The DJ?"_

"_They don't like to be called DJ, but yeah. She went up some stairs to the turn-table where a man with huge headphones was spontaneously mixing for the crowd. The woman that had carried me interrupted him and he switched to a prerecorded song so the dancing wouldn't stop_ _They seemed to know each other and he asked what the problem was. She pointed up at me and I smiled hesitantly, a bit embarrassed, unsure what to make of this. She let me down from her shoulders and set me on the table. The man looked at me curiously and asked what I was doing there. The woman jumped in to answer for me, telling him that I wanted to learn how to dance._ _The DJ looked at me astounded, telling me that I was too young to be here, but that tonight he would make an exception. He suggested I should stay on the table; it safer for me. He then got his mike out and introduced me. I was labeled 'the youngest' of all of them and even got a nickname."_

"_Which was?"_ interrupted Sora.

"_Really, it's not important." _said Rosetta trying to avoid answering.

Sora insisted: _"Come on, you can tell us."_

"_Really, its not important."_

"_Please." _begged Mia.

"_Ok." _relented Roestta _"I … I was called … called … Little Redbeet."_

Both Sora and Mia looked dumbstruck at the younger girl, wondering why on Earth she would be nick-named after a vegetable.

Rosetta became embarrassed and blushed. _"I said it wasn't important."_

"_Why would you be called that?"_

"_Well actually it is written Red b-e-a-t … not like the vegetable."_

"_Then what?"_

"_What can I say, he didn't started mixing again so the crowd eventually turned away from the DJ once the rhythm was restored. The DJ didn't put his headphones back on so he could keep an eye on me. He watched me as I started to clumsily try to imitate the dance." _

"_Wow, you were lucky you know, to have met such good people."_

"_I guess I was, but I was growing frustrated as I couldn't dance as the others, despite my efforts to surpass them._

_He told me I should calm down and let the music guide me, that I should find my own rhythm. I told him I tried, but it just wouldn't work. __He then told me that everyone has this natural movement, that I should try and dance as I do alone at home.__"_

"_Did it work?"_

"_No. I told him I never in any form had danced before. But he assured me that everyone has his own way of dancing, even if we don't notice it. _

_Then it struck me."_

"_What?"_

"_I told him I would had something to help me dance, and needed an easy way out. He showed me an open path around the crowd and I quickly went to the hotel and came back." _

"_What did you take?"_

"_What else? My diabolo."_

"_Ah, I see."_

"_I showed them to the man after he lifted me on the desk and let him know I was ready to dance. He looked really curious, I bet it was his first time he had seen diabolos. Now the music started as he took over again, mixing by hand this time. _

"_And you performed?"_

"_I danced."_ corrected Rosetta. _"At first I used my diabolos as I usually did and immediately caught the crowds attention_._ However after some time I couldn't keep up with the rapid rhythm, my regular moves were not sufficient. _

_From that point on I realized that I should just feel it, and not think about it too much. I started to improvise and instinctively came up with new moves which I would have been disqualified for at a competition._ _It went against everything I was taught with the diabolo, but at that point I didn't care, for this night I would stop being the 'Diabolo machine' and dance until my feet could not carry me anymore. __Every new song came with a different beat, and I would just move with it. I even used muscles I had never even felt. About 2am, the crowd was still going strong, but I knew my mother would return in about an hour, so I told the man I had to leave. He picked up his microphone and announced my leaving. After, he added that if I could come tomorrow I would get a chance to see a new artist that is reputed to be quite good; I think he was called Skyline at the time."_

"_At that time?"_

"_Yes. Well it has become a trend for an artist to change their names and I haven't really heard anything under this name for quite some time." _

"_So, what happened the next night?"_

"_As I expected my mother again had to leave for her latest client, but much later than the day before. _

_I had to pretend that I was sleeping for a few hours. After she finally left I quickly went out on the balcony and saw her cab drive away. I however was cautious and waited a bit more in case she returned early or if she had forgotten something. _

_An hour later I was convinced she would again be gone for about three hours. It was about midnight that I set foot into the club again and instantly some the crowd recognized me. It seemed that the place had quite many regulars. __I made my way to the DJ, still reluctant to dance in the middle of the crowd._ _I asked him if this supposedly great dnb artist had come. He told me that it may be a few hours until he showed up, but until then he would keep the session going. I didn't mind and again danced with my diabolos. The same excitement was there as this was the only fun I had had in a long time since the competitions began. __Even with the little experience of the night before, after an hour I threw my diabolos away and danced without them. I had truly forgotten everything for a short period of time and only focused on dancing."_

"_It was that much fun?"_

"_I can't even tell you how much. Maybe it was because I wasn't allowed to do much at that age, but I felt a sense of freedom like I had never experienced before. _

_About another hour and a half everyone was going strong, I however was starting to show signs of exhaustion, but nothing would stop me this time …well … almost nothing."_

"_Almost nothing?"_

"_Well, here's the twist in the tale. The DJ announced to the crowd that Skyline was going to arrive shortly. What better way to welcome Skyline, than to heat up the dance floor. If I thought the tempo was fast before, you should have seen us after that. I think never before had I moved so quickly, not even diabolo shows. _

"_Well, here's the twist in the tale. The DJ announced to the crowd that Skyline was going to arrive shortly. What better way to welcome Skyline, than to heat up the dance floor. If I thought the tempo was fast before, you should have seen us after that. I think never before had I moved so quickly, not even diabolo shows._

_She came to me intrigued and asked me what my name was. The other DJ jumped in telling her that they called me Little Redbeat. Now the woman looked even more interested and asked me if I could dance while she was mixing and if her agent could see me as well. I was surprised, but honored to meet her agent and agreed."_

"_I don't get it, you said something stopped you."_

"_I was just getting to that. After I agreed I saw the agent come through the entrance of the club. I think it was the first time I was truly shocked."_

"_Why is that?"_

"_Skyline's agent was my mother."_

"_What!?"_ both girls exclaimed; now they understood who the client was that kept Rosetta's mother busy at night.

"_The irony of it all."_

"_What did your mother do?"_

"_What I expected her to do: get angry, yell at me, make me swear I'd never do it again and took me back to the hotel. Skyline understood the situation and started laughing; I don't blame her, it was kind of funny." _

"_Not for you though."_

"_Well I was sad I could not dance anymore, but I still tried to somehow remain connected. I bought some Cds without my mother knowing and listened to Drum and Bass on the Internet."_

"_I never heard anything from your room though."_

"_Ah, well after I joined the stage I lacked the time to listen, I just used the computer to study, but I do listen to dnb whilst I'm practicing diabolo sometimes."_

"_So that's why you've been so eager tonight."_

"_Yes, when I suggested that we should go out tonight I didn't expect it to be a reunion with the only real fun I had besides performing."_

"_Well, I can see the place from here."_

"_Really?" _asked Rosetta surprised and quickly dashed of to the entrance.

The others followed shortly and saw Rosetta talk to the bouncer explaining the situation. As they arrived Rosetta was already heading inside.

"_We're the group from Kaleido Stage."_ Sora informed the bouncer and showed him the papers. He didn't look at them. _"You're friend explained to me, go ahead inside."_

Once in the interior of the club everyone was astonished by it's size, the lights were flashing bright colors all around, but the sound was not as they expected. It was not as fast as Rosetta deemed it and seemed quite a regular type.

Rosetta just stood watching the somewhat small crowd of people dancing, visibly upset. It wasn't as she was expecting either.

"_Is something wrong?" _asked Sora.

"_Yes, this is not what we were promised."_

"_It isn't?"_

"_Not by a long shot."_

"_Then I guess we should be going back."_ interrupted May who had been quiet the whole trip there.

"_No way, we're not going back after all the trouble we've been through."_

"_Come on, there's obviously nothing we can do."_

"_Maybe there is." _Rosetta said then ran off to the turntable.

Once Rosetta was close enough, she shouted at the man, but he couldn't hear with his headphones on. She however would not give up and grabbed one of three microphones. She took a few seconds to consider her words, but then just shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"_Jockey!"_

Startled, the man slipped back and fell. The music also became slower as Rosetta stopped the disks.

"_What are you doing there, girl?"_ the man asked angrily getting up.

"_I must say I'm disappointed …"_ She answered bitterly. Then added with disgust _"…Jockey."_

The man felt insulted but started to understand that Rosetta knew more than what he expected.

"_And why is that?"_

"_If Sarah was here, she would be disappointed."_

The man also picked up a microphone feeling challenged.

"_You are the ones she sent to me?"_

"_Yes and she promised us something else, Jockey." _

"_And what would that be?"_

"_Don't play dumb with me; don't you know the name of your own club?"_

"_Dnb District."_

"_So far I haven't heard any real drum and bass."_

"_How would you know of such things? You're just a little girl."_

"_I know enough to tell you that you shouldn't be behind that table."_

_The crowd started to notice the argument going on at the DJ table. _

"_Is that so?"_

"_Yes, Jockey, it is."_ she kept emphasizing the name, knowing it would insult the man. _"Do you actually think I'll believe that?"_

"_I'm shocked, Sarah told us you came here from England, you out of all people should know that I'm right."_

"_You didn't think anyone would notice, did you?"_

"_No, it's not that. I've been here for some time and people just don't listen to dnb here. What am I supposed to do, give up and go back?" _

"_No, try and try again. What happened to the old days?" _

"_Old days?"_

"_What happened to names like Aphrodite, Concord Dawn, Black Sun Empire?"_

"_I…"_

"_What happened to them and the other great artists? What happened to Ming, FS or Skyline?"_

"_Skyline? How do you know that name?"_

"_As I told you, I am quite aware of …"_

"_No, I mean how do you know that name? She kept it for only a few months until changing it."_

"_Ah, well we met when she started making a name for herself. We had the same agent."_

"_You can't …" _

The man was genuinely astounded and put his microphone down. Rosetta did the same as he apparently didn't want the crowd to hear what he was about to say. He whispered in her ear.

"_Little Redbeat?"_

Now it was Rosetta's turn to be surprised. _"How do you know this name?" _she asked blushing.

"_How can I not know of you, everybody in the mixing 'biz' has heard of Skyline's little muse. Her album under her new name was named after you." _

"_It was?"_ Rosetta practically shrieked in surprise. She felt it was quite an honor. _"What name does she go by these days?"_

"_CloudMS."_

"_What!? **The** Cloud? I didn't even know, but I've heard her work, but I didn't get her first album."_

"_I still have it, and some of the good old ones."_

"_But what happened? Why don't you play them?"_

"_People here just don't enjoy it. I had to adapt in order to remain in business. Even the new dnb scene has changed since all new artists started blending with other types." _

"_For how long have you tried to play the old beats?"_

"_Two weeks since I started, I barely got enough people in to sustain the place."_

"_I see, and there's nothing we can do about it?" _

"_I need some form of publicity, something to draw attention to Old-school and Jungle. I need great act."_

"_I think I have got what you need."_

"_How is that?"_

"_Along with me, Sarah sent another fifty of our performers. Now if you could get a reporter in here I think it'll be a good publicity stunt and make the news." _

The man thought about it for a short while, then finally agreed, a bit skeptical about the whole thing. An assistant was called to make the necessary arrangements and even managed to convince a local news station to send a crew to record the whole event. All there was left to do was wait.

"_Right, now until they get here you'll have to heat things up and let everyone know."_

"_That's the easy part."_

_He got out some of his other records and set up his machinery so he could start. Rosetta handed him a mike as she took one herself. _

"_Listen up all of you!" the man shouted. "We're changing the rhythm tonight as we got a challenge. Dnb District is going back to it's roots, no more clubbing, back to real Drum and Bass!" _

Rosetta took over. _"I know most of you have never heard it, but as a special performance we have members of the Kaleido Stage!"_ Rosetta pointed at her fellow colleagues still meandering around the entrance. _"Even our Kaleido Star is here, Sora Naegino!"_

The crowd recognized Sora and immediately started applauding. This wasn't what Sora expected as the group of performers were surrounded by the crowd.

Seeing them overwhelmed with enthusiastic fans, Rosetta quickly acted. _"She won't be giving autographs; she's here to dance with the rest of you to some of the Dnb Legends. Let's start the session!"_

Rosetta got down and headed back to her friends.

"_Is everything alright now?"_

"_Yes, look lively, the fun is about to start and the media will be here in some time."_

Sora nodded in understanding. Everybody mixed in with the rest of the crowd. The man behind the table now was determined to play some of the legendary titles and mix some of his own.

What started as typical clubbing tempo, now progressed into something considerably faster and eventually was getting past what the crowd and performers could follow.

"_That all you can do?"_ mocked the DJ _"We're just barely getting warmed up!"_

Rosetta saw that the crowd was getting confused and needed a good example. She looked around and closest to her was Sora. She grabbed the Kaleido Star's hand and took her in the middle of the mob. People here didn't really know how to dance shoulder to shoulder and made room for the two.

**What is she doing? **Sora asked herself as she was dragged into the crowd, but one look at Rosetta's eyes and she knew that together with her they had to dance for the crowd to properly start the movement. **Showtime.**

At first, Sora was not used to moving all her limbs at the same time and at such a rate, but she had always had a nag of learning fast, and started to match Rosetta's moves. She now began to understand what Rosetta saw in this. The beats were almost as fast as her heart's, her ribcage vibrating from the thumping bass that came from all sides, all her muscles moving in a totally random pattern.

The music was taking over and although not having physical contact with Rosetta, they danced together as if there was no one else. The crowd around them blurred then vanished, as their minds only focused on the music they heard and felt. Such exhilaration Sora had never felt off-stage, it was a whole new type of fun.

After a few minutes other the rookies could no longer contain their excitement and joined in, followed by other people.

"_Next up we got Tiki singing for Concord Dawn in a more recent album." _announced the DJ as he put the song and took a break from his own mixing.

**Dear readers, at this point I advise you to proceed to my profile and check out the designated song labeled _"Concord Dawn – Song nr.1" _**

**The song will help you understand the scene better. **

Sora couldn't remember ever having felt so unrestrained, so free. Here, unlike the stage, she did not have to worry about making a mistake or falling down. She didn't have to concentrate either. A new song started up, but it wasn't as fast as the previous others. Quickly adapting to the change, Sora once again felt only the beat and the thrill of the dance.

Then the refrain began, and slowly Sora couldn't help but notice the words.

However as the words played the refrain resonated more profoundly in Sora.

"_Now give me that soul,_

_Life is for living,_

_Don't forget what you have been given,_

_People got to stay true and driven,_

_Never give up on love."_

Sora didn't know why, but for a moment she stopped as those words seemed to mean something to her. She however noticed she had broken the pace and quickly picked up where she left off.

"_Don't be afraid of the new, this is what I say to you,_

_Change is good for the soul, you know this is true .."_

The Kaleido Star regained her composure.

"…_The possibilities are endless for you and me,_

_If we open up our hearts and let our spirit free,_

_We can live this life of balance and of harmony._

_Everybody keep on searching for their unity."_

But then the same refrain played and Sora again came to a halt.

"_Now give me that soul,_

_Life is for living,_

_Don't forget what you have been given,_

_People got to stay true and driven,_

_Never give up on love."_

**Never give up on love? **Sora was unable to explain what it was, but she felt unable to continue. Rosetta noticed that Sora had stopped and quickly went to her, she couldn't shout anything to her as the sound covered it up. However the red-haired girl saw Sora's troubled expression as the Kaleido Star was staring blankly at the ground. She knew that something happened to her friend and quickly grasped her hand in order to lead her off the dance-floor.

They both got to the outer ring of the club where tables and chairs were set up for people who needed a break from dancing or to just hang out. Rosetta spotted May and Ken at a table, and led Sora to a chair. Still she remained quiet.

**Never give up on love?** She thought again as the same part of the song was played.   
Those words seemed to have somehow taken Sora by surprise. She couldn't get them out of her head.

"_Sora? Sora?" _Rosetta asked concerned.

"_What's wrong with her?"_ asked Ken equally concerned.

"_I don't know she just stopped all of a sudden."_

"_You think we should take her to the hospital?"_

"_I'm not sure, maybe we should …"_

"Oh, come on!" shouted May. "You know her more than I do, and you can't see that she's lost in her thoughts?" May got up from her chair and kneeled in front of Sora. She waved her hand in front of Sora a few times. She seemed tranced. "She's really gone this time."

"_What do we do?"_

May took the whistle that was still around Sora's neck. Only a few inches existed between the whistle and Sora's face. With a deep breath, May blew the whistle.  
Sora flinched, so spooked that she tipped her chair and fell on her back.

May laughed. _"That was fun."_

"_What happened?" _asked Sora surprised at how just a minute ago she was dancing and now three faces were looking down at her.

"_You see, that was all she needed." _said May victoriously.

"_What happened to me?"_

"_You spaced out whilst dancing a minute ago."_

"_I did?"_

"_Sure did."  
"Sit for a while." _said Ken concerned. _"You might not be feeling well."_

"_Maybe you're right, but I'll rather go out for some air."_

She left the club, still confused.

**Dear readers, at this point I advise you to visit my profile and use the links for the songs _"Dnb-1,2,3,4" _**

"_Speaking of which … what are you two doing here? I said everyone would be dancing tonight."_

"_I can't. This would be too much for my heart to take."_ Ken said disappointed, as he would have really liked to dance a bit with Sora and the rest. He was no stranger to fun after all.

"_And what's your excuse?" _Rosetta said turning her attention to May.

"_No excuse, I simply refuse."_

"_Refuse? Why?"_

"_I won't go out there and make a fool out of myself."_

"_But you told me yourself that you could dance anytime, anywhere."_

"_So?"_

"_So, let's dance! **Here** and **now**!"_

May really felt uncomfortable and tried to throw of her persistent friend. _"I'll take you up on that some other time."_

"_But you promised you would."_

"_I didn't promise anything."_

"_You're not getting away this time!" _Rosetta exclaimed as she grabbed May by the wrist and started dragging her to the dance floor.

"_Wait! What are you doing?" _she yelled as the sound was getting stronger as they approached.

"_I went through too much trouble for you to stop me."_

May now pulled Rosetta back and spoke in her ear as they were very close to the crowd of people and the music was very loud.

"_Please … don't make me beg."_

Rosetta looked surprised as May seemed to be afraid of what was about to come. If that was the case she knew just one way to convince her. Now Rosetta spoke into May's ear.

"_Why won't you dance? Sora and me can, are you saying you can't do something we can?"_

"_What!?" _shouted May furiously and then started pulling Rosetta towards the crowd. _"I'll show you!"_

Again Rosetta couldn't help but smile. **Works every time.**

Outside, Sora didn't go far and just leaned against a light-pole. Only now did she notice how much she had sweat while dancing, but the cool of the air night sent a shiver down her spine. However, the fresh air and the slightly audible music calmed her down.

**What happened? What's wrong?**

"_Is something wrong?" _asked Ken concerned looking at Sora.

"_I was just asking myself the same thing."_

"_You seem tense, is there something bothering you?"_

"_I …I'm sure its nothing."_

"_Sora." _Ken said. _"Look at me. You know I never buy it when you say that."_

The Kaleido Star remained silent as she couldn't convince her friend that she was alright or herself for that matter.

"_I certainly can't see anything wrong."_

"_Maybe that's a good thing."_

"_How so?"_

"_Think about it, some things should never be considered, maybe this is one of those things."  
"Maybe …" _Sora said sighing and looking at the light coming from the street-pole she was leaning on. **Look at him, always there when you need him, but why do I feel like none of my friends can help me this time?**

"_You know I don't like it when you are like this."_

"_Maybe … something is missing."_

"_Missing?"_ The boy asked surprised. _"What could be missing? I mean you're surrounded by friends, you're living out your dream even as we speak, thousands if not more know and admire you. I think you're quite at a climax in your life."_

"_Maybe that's it. I can't go beyond this. No more challenges, no more heights."_

"_Sora, don't say that …"_

"_I'm serious, what if I'm at an end?"_

"_Your shows don't seem to show that."_

"_Yes, what if it's not about the stage? Maybe something is wrong in my personal life."_

"_The stage is big part of your life_."

"_Yes, but the stage is not all of my life."_

"_Sora, what are you trying to say?" _

"_I'm starting to think that with all the new responsibilities I've slowly started to lose other aspects of my life."_

"_You think you've lost something?"_

"_Maybe I've lost …"_ **Someone**. She finished without saying it out-loud. As she spoke that word in her mind, a brief image appeared, the same image as earlier that day. **No, that can't be it.**

"_Look, Sora, I'm sure there's a good reason for you acting like this, but tonight it's everybody's night out, I'm not saying you should always do this, but at least for tonight forget your problems, we can solve them tomorrow."_

"_Yeah, you're right, let's go back inside."_

"_You sure you'll be alright."_

"_Yeah, thanks to you." _she said with an appreciative smile. _"Thanks."_

"_I … um ... you know me …I'll always …you're welcome." _If a minute ago he was fully composed and concerned over Sora, he now was babbling and incoherent.

Back inside however things had changed during their absence. A dancing mob now was fully out of rhythm, in their centre a gap was created. That space was only occupied by Rosetta and May. The crowd had been taken In by them as their dance had progressed from simple fun to a stage performance.

Sora figured that May didn't really have any experience in dancing, but made up for it and improvised by showing off her acrobatic prowess.  
Rosetta apparently didn't want to be left behind. She was May's performing partner after all, and played along all the while having fun, the two performers creating a strange dance all their own. By this time, the media crew also had arrived, and was busy recording the two, despite the reporter having issues talking in her microphone with all the noise. May and Roestta's performance however halted the rest only for a couple of minutes as the crowd resumed their dancing and restored their previous frantic dance. Inevitably Rosetta and May where pushed closer together and had to rest as the rest did.   
May was still a bit of klutz, but Rosetta with quick and firm movements showed her what dancing was all about. They didn't make any real contact, but because they where partners on stage, moved in perfect unison together. Knowing that she might not get another chance to get May into town, Rosetta increased the intensity of their dance by eliminating the physical distance between them. In the heat of the quick movements and intoxicating atmosphere, May played along. She matched Rosetta move for move as her embarrassment eventually faded. Other times she would not allow such things, but surrounded by the writhing crowd and caught even closer to Rosetta, May felt she could indulge just for one night.

* * *

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review.

I'm hoping I can eliminate the raw-ness of first-time posting a chapter by sending the files directly to **FallingAwake**.

For those of you who have read the raw and are rereading I'm sure you can clearly see the difference.

Next chapter if things go smoothly will be directly proof-read before posting.

Until then!


	7. Chapter 7

**That was quite a trip, **Layla mused as she exited the airport. "Airport" however was not the right term for the small outpost with a small control tower. Layla thought back that the start of the journey had been entirely different.

In Cairo she was met with a great deal of luxury and two personal body-guards, which of course her father ordered as a precaution. She however did not want to waste any time, and after dismissing the guards by threatening to fire them, she was finally free and made her way to South Africa.

Layla had to board a great deal of planes in order to travel across this vast continent to her final destination. And the last one had been a rather old propeller-plane, definitely the polar opposite of the first-class accommodations she had been traveling with so far. Due to the exhausting activity of plane- hopping, Layla had only managed about an hour of sleep. But even so, Layla was far too enthralled by the whole trip, because with every new airport, the signs of hectic civilization became less and less, until it was barely noticeable.

However, the last pit-stop had Layla a bit worried as it was more barren and isolated than what she expected. Only a couple of passengers disembarked the plane with her and headed towards a small town a few miles away. Calling a cab was pointless in a place like this, as there were none, so she needed to walk the distance. Before embarking for the short trek, Layla made her way to the bathroom which was surprisingly well-kept and changed into an outfit more suitable for the weather. The designer suit was obviously not tailored for temperatures reaching forty degrees Celsius in the shade.

Layla only now felt the full heat of the Etosha National Park and turned to face the road ahead of her. She saw a mirage of water formed by the heat, making the horizon mirror the sky. No cars were passing by; no wind was blowing. But the stale heat was more than enough. After taking a glance at her itinerary, she was off.

Only a short distance from the approaching town she stopped briefly to drink water from the only bottle she had bought. **I need to get more of these. **Afteranother half hour, Layla found herself standing before the sign at the entrance into the small town, or more appropriately- a village. The sign read "town" under the name, but Layla didn't even want to try to read the obscure name of the place.

Walking past the sign, and heading deeper into the town, Layla spotted more modern buildings and some houses she recognized as Victorian styled. Further in the distance, stood a couple of two-story buildings, along with a high flagpole just behind them. Whatever nation it once depicted, the flag was just a muddled mix of odd colors and lines, faded by the sun and age. It could have been American or probably British, but as far as Layla could tell it might have been Cuban.

Layla walked along the only paved road and came across a local woman with her child.

"_Excuse me, do you know where I can buy some water?"_

The woman looked at the blond, and then examined her from head to toe.

"_Uhm, excuse me?"_

Now the woman just giggled once, obviously she didn't understand English. Layla sighed in frustration. **Oh boy, I hoped _this_ wouldn't happen. **

"_Can you understand anything I'm saying?"_

The woman again giggled seemingly amused by Layla's increasingly annoyed face.

"_How can I make you understand? … I need water. Do you understand?"_

The woman now seemed to concentrate, but still only tilted her head hearing her words.

"_I need water. W-A-T-E-R."_

The woman crinkled her brow, trying to think if she heard that word before, whilst her son was hiding behind her, a bit afraid by this stranger.

"_W-A-T-E-R." _Layla repeated.

The woman smiled and then shook her head.

"_No? Well that's at least one gesture we both understand."_

Layla was growing more annoyed and agitated by the whole thing. So she tried a different approach.

"_I …" _Layla said pointing at herself. _"Need," _she added as she clenched both her fists. _"Water," _she finished and gestured holding a cup. She then brought her hands to her mouth and pretended to drink. **Surely…**

The effort was all for naught, as the woman simply stared and began to smile again.

"_I …water … How can I possibly make you understand?"_

Layla was ready to give up and try another villager, but then the woman seemed to have finally understood.

"_W-water." _she said slowly, pointing at Layla. _"Water?" _she repeated, this time with more certainty.

"_Yes! Water!" _Layla exclaimed, happily pointing at herself. _"Where can I get water?"_

"_Ahh …Water!" _the woman said again pointing at Layla.

"_Yes, water." _Layla nodded happily as she was about to receive her long awaited answer.

"_Sekai."_ the woman said, leaving Layla only to repeat confused.

"_Sekai?"_

The woman nodded in confirmation, pointing to herself. _"Sekai". _Then she pointed again at Layla._ "Water."_

Layla raised her eyebrows, her earlier frustration quickly returning as she pinched the bridge of her nose. **Great, now she thinks my name is 'water'. **_"Look, you don't understand. I am not …"_

But now the woman wasn't listening or paying attention anymore. She was too enthralled to have met, and in her mind, exchange names with someone like Layla. To add to the confusion, she was now speaking quickly, something which the blond could not even repeat, let alone begin to understand.

"_Um… Excuse me?"_

The native proceeded to pick up her child which was still unsure about Layla. _"Simba," _she introduced with a big smile on her face indicating at her son.

**Simba? **Though the former Kaleido Star as she vaguely remembered the animation movie featuring a lion with that name, but that would not get her the answers she desired. In one last effort she opened her bag and got out an empty bottle and showed it to the woman.

"_Water; you see? This is what I need."_

Finally the dark-skinned woman understood and prated about something. When she finished, she helpfully pointed at the flagpole Layla had seen earlier. Hopefully that was the town center and there she would find some really needed fluids. Or at least get out of this situation.

The way was short, and it dawned on Layla why she saw no one else on the road beside that woman and her son. Gathered all around the base of the flagpole stood a large crowd, all with expectant faces. Curious, Layla made her way through the crowd to the center of activity.

There she spotted a man with curly hair, attaching a poster to the base of the pole on a wooden announcement board with a staple-gun. As he finished, he stepped back and turned to the crowd. It was then that Layla got a good look at his face. His thick-lensed glasses made his eyes appear smaller, but he looked rather friendly. Most importantly, he appeared Caucasian despite his dark tan.

He opened his mouth, and out flowed what Layla decided as the villager's native language. Apparently, he said something good because the locals started cheering.

"_Excuse me," _said Layla stepping out of the crowd and approached the man. _"Do you speak English?" _she asked hopefully.

"_Oh, but of course I do. Born and raised in old Blighty. Wesley Patrick is the name and you-" _he stopped abruptly, dropping his stapler. A look of recognition grew on his face. _"You?!" _

"_Me?" _questioned Layla not understanding the man's sudden surprise.

"_You're the Golden Phoenix! Layla Hamilton herself!"_

Wesley didn't even let Layla respond as he shouted again in that foreign tongue to the receding crowd. Layla did recognize two things: "Layla Hamilton" and "star".

Immediately after the announcement, the previous crowd reassembled itself. Wesley turned back and addressed Layla. _"You won't believe it, but I just tacked up a poster from you previous movie."_

"_You what?" _Layla asked in utter disbelief as she was suddenly the center of attention. The man moved to the side showing that indeed it was a poster from the movie she had starred in over a year and a half ago. The print was for the British release, and the opening date was one year ago, but the natives didn't know that. They simply looked back and forth between the poster and Layla.

It wasn't too hard to compare the poster and the real thing. Even with Layla's shorter haircut, the resemblance was undeniable. Not too soon, the villagers all scurried into their houses.

"_Now you're a celebrity even in South Africa, Miss Hamilton."_

"_What?" _Layla stated flatly as almost the entire crowd began to reassemble in front of her again, this time armed with pens and pieces of paper.Now she understood just how much commotion she had stirred up. But the last thing Layla expected was an impromptu signing.

Layla wasn't necessarily proud of this movie, as she was far more interested in her performing successes. However, these villagers were fans of her none the less and the least she could do was sign a few autographs. At least one benefit to being a performer as opposed to an actress was that she didn't need to endure such rough signing-sessions often.

**This coincidence is too ridiculous, too impossible even. Out of all the places! The _one_ secluded town in the most _remote _part of Africa just happens to premiere the movie I shot more than a year ago.**

**If there is such a thing as Fate it has the sickest sense of humor. **

Layla resigned herself to sign over fifty papers in the blazing sun before finally having satisfied her new fans. It was still odd that they were so frantic about her, despite them not even having seen her movie yet.

Sitting herself on a nearby old bench she covered her eyes with her forearm. The heat was starting to become unbearable and this sudden signing-session had worn out what little remaining energy she had preserved so far. But she couldn't help but smile to herself at the absurdity of what just happened. This was not something anyone back home would ever believe.

"_That was good timing." _concluded a male voice with a British accent. It was Wesley, the man whom had started the whole commotion in the first place. _"Good show! Good show!" _he added and clapped a few times.

"_You again," _Layla answered deadpanned.

"_Yes, Wesley Patrick. It is an honor to meet you."_

"_Mr.Patrick-"_

"_Please, just call me Wesley."_

"_Very well. Wesley, could you explain what just happened?"_

"_Oh, yes. I apologize for all that. But I got a tad bit excited seeing that you were here of all places, and thought that the locals would appreciate having your autograph."_

"_After the last couple of flights I had, the last thing I wanted to do is sign. What does it matter to these people anyway? I don't think any of them even knows how to write or read English"_

"_Ah, but they do know their native language at least."_

"_But is my autograph worth anything to them? As I've gathered, they haven't even seen the movie yet."_

"_Indeed. But I told them to use this opportunity as you may not grace us with your presence for very long."_

"_They listen to you?"_

"_In a way- you see, I've earned their trust over the years."_

"_Years?"_

"_Yes. Five or so; I'm not really sure. I came as an official from African Aid to this village."_

"_Only you?"_

"_Yes, my wife remained in England to handle the bureaucratic work. Honestly speaking, between me and her, I have the better job."_

"_What is it that you do exactly?"_

"_I help these people in any way I can. I bring medicine, building materials. Over the years, they have become my family"._

"_Haven't you tried to teach them English then?"_

"_I did try at first, but this village holds dearly to its traditions. I had to accustom myself to their way of life, not the other way around."_

"_Still, I can't understand why my autograph is so important to them."_

He sat down next to her. _"Didn't you see how excited they were?"_

"_I could, but ..."_

"_Things here, Miss Hamilton are different. You see, these people have to deal with a lot of…issues… every day. Disease, famine and losing their ancestral grounds are just part of it. Everyday life for them is a struggle."_

"_It doesn't seem to be the case here."_

"_Ah, yes. Over the years this village has become a little safe haven, but many people here have relatives in other villages that are far less fortunate." _Wesley paused for a second, as if he were contemplating something, and then continued.

"_How do you think they feel when they have to turn their families away because there just isn't enough room here? Also we couldn't outrun the diseases. About ten months ago, all of the newborns where struck with a terrible illness"._

Wesley shook his head in disgust_. "Not even our 'sophisticated' medicine could help them. The so- called aid came far too late and was so measly; it couldn't even treat one child fully."_

Layla remained silent. She simply sat there trying to digest all this terrible news. Until now she had no idea what strife these people had gone through. Now she understood why the woman she had met earlier was the only one she had seen with a child so far. **He must have escaped the terrible illness by being born a few years earlier.**

"_Do you know what the worst thing about the whole incident was?" _asked Wesley. _"They hoped. They hoped that I could save them. Even as I tried to explain to them that I couldn't, they still hoped."_

"_The Fool's right," _said Layla.

"_To hope. Yes, indeed this was the case."_

"_Strange…" _ Layla trailed off, peering up at the flagpole. The flag hung limply. There was no wind. It looked dead.

"_What is?"_

"_I've heard news about this at some point or another."_

"_And?"_

"_You never can fully understand the gravity of the situation until you see it with your own _

_eyes."_

"_Sounds like a proverb about love." _Wesley said sagely, trying to lighten to mood.

"_What?" _**Love? **thought Layla as she was a bit surprised by the sudden change of topic.

"_Sorry, I was just trying to ease your troubled mind."_

"_Troubled?"_

"_Yes. I mean why would you come to such a remote place half across the world?"_

"_I'm simply on a journey."_

"_To discover yourself?"_

"_No, just on a journey."_

"_My dear, I don't think you're being honest with yourself."_

"_I don't think you know what you're saying."_

"_I don't think you know why you're here."_

"_That's a rather rude comment."_

"_I guess it is, but someone has to tell you straight, right? Looking at your demeanor I can imagine not many people dare cross your words."_

"_I'm afraid you're mistaken." _said Layla curtly. Then after a moment, she sighed thinking about Cathy and the way they argued sometimes. But then again, Sora also never hesitated to speak her mind as well. A smile grew on her face at that particular thought.

"_Well aren't you cheerful all of a sudden." _he joked.

"_You're still rude though."_

"_Miss Hamilton, I've looked into the eyes of lions one too many times. Very little intimidates me anymore."_

"_Is that so…" _said the blond having regained her composure. _"Well, as rude as you may be, you're still a good man; I'll give you that," _she added getting up.

"_Oh, what a nice compliment; I'm honored."_

"_Then how about being a little grateful? I did cheer up the villagers- according to you."_

"_Indeed you have. So what can I do for you?" _questioned Wesley also getting up.

"_Water."_

"_Figures; Follow me." _Wesley politely requested, leading the way.

Inside a big storage room Wesley took out two bottles of water and handed them over to Layla who remained outside. They then headed to the second entrance in the village. Fully stocked Layla could resume her journey.

"_So where are you off to now?"_

"_I'm going to search for what this land is famous for."_

"_Oh," _Wesley answered, widening his eyes in understanding. _"Well then, you should head to old Paddy's tours. There you'll get a real safari."_

"_Show me the way."_

"_Um, well it's a bit hard to explain. It takes you off the usual roads."_

"_Any ideas?"_

"_Well, I could take you on my moped, but you can only take your backpack. Don't worry, I'll put your suitcase in storage, you wont be there all day long," he assured her._

_Layla didn't say anything at first. Wesley could hardly blame her for being suspicious of a total stranger in the middle of a foreign country._

In the end, she relented_. "Very well," _Layla complied and cautiously surrendered her luggage, grateful that it had a combination lock on it, just in case.

A few moments later, Wesley rolled out an old looking moped covered in dry dirt.

"_Are you sure about this?" _asked Layla skeptically, seeing the state the moped was in. It definitely had seen better days.

"_Oh, but of course. This bad boy will get you faster to ol' Paddy's than any range rover will."_

Still a bit unsure Layla got on the dusty seat. She put on her sunglasses to block the wind from her eyes and to keep some dignity. **Just think of it as a movie stunt.**

Wesley turned around to face Layla. _"Hold on tight," _he warned as he set down a pair of goggles which were part of his helmet.

"_This won't be pretty."_

It was too late to turn back now, and Layla would have to endure all the bumps and sand and dirt and bugs blowing against them as the wind kicked up everything in its path. Even with her sunglasses on, Layla couldn't look straight ahead of her. Instead, she could only stay with her head turned to the side, leaning against Wesley, and holding him in a death-grip so she wouldn't get thrown off.

But something struck Layla as she looked about. For the first time since arriving, she noticed just how vast and wild this place was, and most of all how barren.

It was a long shot from an image of paradise, but it presented its own kind of beauty.

In the distance, movement caught Layla's eyes. A small number of animals with antlers were running and prancing about. Despite what little she knew about wildlife, she knew that seeing them in their natural surroundings would present a wonderful and exhilarating experience, better than any zoo.

If the dry stone-desert filled her with excitement, then the savanna plains would be even better. After hearing what Wesley said, she was especially keen to see lions and just how intimidating they could be with her own eyes.

Layla was jolted out of her thoughts as the moped hit some hard rocks. The last part of the journey was the toughest as the terrain got rougher, but finally they arrived.

Feeling the solid ground under her shaky feet was a relief to Layla as she removed her sunglasses. She then shook her head twice to get out all the sand from her hair.

Seeing her, Wesley now understood how bewildering she could be even in these situations. She was indeed a great choice for an actress. He gave her a few moments to compose herself.

"_Well, this is where we part. Someone here will bring you back to the village I'm sure. If not, you can contact me from here and I'll come get you."_

"_Thank you."_

"_It's been a pleasure to meet you Miss Hamilton."_

"_Likewise. Oh, and before I forget Wesley, don't worry about the copyright infringements regarding the movie back in the village."_

"_Ugh" _he mumbled half-heartedly as Layla had kept this little trump-card for just the last moment. _"Actors." _he quickly added with a smile before taking off on his small moped.

It had been some time since Layla used her wits to irritate someone, and although she knew better, it somewhat compensated for the rough trip that brought her here.

Looking at her surroundings, Layla saw just two semi-cylindrical metal houses that looked like they had been crudely constructed from the time of the Second World War.

Behind them however she heard a man's voice and setting her shades back on went to investigate, hoping she would finally get the tour she was looking for.

Behind the second building someone was defiantly speaking. But as Layla came about, she saw a young local man apparently talking to- himself.

"_And so … so we can see … that … that the great plains of the Masai Mara …is filled with an …Argh! What was the next line?"_

Knocking on the metal structure she was standing next to, Layla caught the man's attention. Startled, he turned to the noise.

"_Excuse me, but is this where Paddy's tours are held?"_

"_Y-yes, but who are you?"_

"_A paying customer," _repliedLayla not wanting to risk being discovered again like in the village.

"_Well then, you're at the right place. My name is Thulani and I'm one of the two tour guides here."_

"_Only two?"_

"_Yes, well." _The dark-skinned man said rubbing the back of his head. _"We've been through a tough time in the last months. But that's bound to change since we'll be getting a large group coming in soon."_

"_That's why you've been rehearsing?"_

"_Ah, you saw that?" _ Thulani said slightly embarrassed at being caught, again rubbing the back of his head. _"Well, to be honest I've never conducted a tour before; I've been an apprentice to Paddy for more than one year."_

"_Apprentice."_

"_Yes, well that's the best way to describe it. I haven't had any schooling after having left the tribe."_

"_Tribe? You are from a tribe?" _said Layla incredulous, as the man didn't look anything of what she imagined. _"I guess there are many things I don't yet know," _murmured Layla to herself smiling a bit. She was beginning to delight in these small discoveries on her trip so far.

"_Hardly believable isn't it? Since coming here I've become more 'civilized' in a sense, but I have shamed my tribe."_

"_And which tribe was that?"_

"_Both my father and mother were of the Zulu tribe."_

Now Layla was really surprised as she always had the image of strong warriors in her head when regarding the Zulu warriors of Africa, at least the images in movies. She didn't think she'd meet any tribesman on her small expedition, but seeing Thulani completely changed that image.

"_That's quite a heritage, but you said you disgraced them?"_

"_Yes. I and a few others."_

"_I thought that the Zulu were a nation."_

"_Ah, but they are. There are those who live in small communities and in the city, but there are still smaller villages out there that practice all the old customs."_

"_And you?"_

"_Me? I was born in one of them, taught since small to handle a spear and hunt the animals." _ Thulani crossed his arms and gazed far out into the plains. _"And so I did. Even as children we were accomplished hunters, even planning our own hunts."_

"_And you disagreed?"_

"_Me? I did all those things, all the ritualistic dance and mock-battles. I'm still proud of that … But as Zulu I was taught to be grateful for everything that the creator-god made for us. We hold great respect for nature and all its creatures, but killing them at that time was something I could not do."_

"_At that time?" _Layla repeated unsure.

"_Ah, sorry I forget that you are not accustomed to our traditions. I am referring to the rite of initiation that every warrior of our village undergoes. It is practiced as a test of courage even in the so called Zulu Nation. But in our village it was only an event to be held when a man came of age._

_To cut it short, at sixteen years you are considered capable of being a real man and have to prove it by killing a bull with your bare hands."_

Layla didn't say anything, but random information about this did come to her. She could easily see the horror in the man's eyes remembering that event.

"_Of course, now you're thinking: why I am disgusted by it? I've killed animals in the past."_

"_Something like that."_

"_There's a difference between those and that time. You hunt for food, you hunt for the sake of the tribe, hunt for survival just like the noble lions, cheetahs, leopards and other predators; you hunt as the creator-god intended you to. With our spears and bows we kill them quick, but in the rite of passage …"_

Thulani fell silent clenching his fist. _"You kill that poor animal for no real purpose but to show off you so-called prowess. First, you tire it out then rip out its eyes …"_

Thulani stopped to gauge Layla's reaction. He could see her tense expression and decided not to concern her with his problems, especially because she was patient enough until now to listen to him.

"_But I'm sure you don't want to hear any more of this. To cut the story even shorter, I ran away from the village to another region. Then finally fled into the city where a care-group took me in for a while. There I met Paddy, who told me what he did for a living. He told me he watched animals and showed their magnificence to others. From that point on I knew I wanted to do the same._

_I was intrigued by this man who did not appear to belong in this world speaking my native language, telling me the true words of the creator. The same day I asked him if I could do what he did. He then asked me if I loved all animals and I said yes. From that day, I've been his apprentice and learned a great deal from him."_

"_English apparently as well."_

"_Yes" _he nodded.

"_You're quite well-spoken. I know when I hear words spoken with passion."_

"_You do? How, may I ask?"_

Layla smiled at him. _"Let's just say that I too had an apprentice." _**Just like you. Someone blindly chasing their dream … Sora, if you were here, you would have found a kindred spirit.**

An unusually cool breeze blew over the two and Layla took off her sunglasses to fully enjoy it as the wind gently caressed her face. _"You remind me of someone."_

"_I d-d-do?" _Thulani stuttered.

"_Is something wrong?" _Layla asked, seeing the sudden change in attitude. "_Don't tell me..." _If hersuspicions were correct, then this was the second time this happened today.

Thulani didn't answer. Instead he rushed past her into one of the houses. Even from outside, his voice could still be heard.

"_Paddy! Paddy! Come in!"_

Looking through the door she saw Thulani at a station with a microphone.

"_Paddy! Paddy! This is Thulani calling."_

"_What is it?" _growled a voice.

"_Come back quickly! Hurry!"_

"_What? Why?"_

"_You won't believe who just came for a tour. Layla Hamilton! Come back real quick!"_

"_Alright! Calm down. I'll come as soon as I can start this piece of junk again."_

"_Hurry, we need to give her a very special tour." _Layla raised an elegant eyebrow.

"_I said I'll be back in a few hours. Would you just calm down."_

"_Copy that" _Thulani agreed, thus ending the conversation and returning his attention back to Layla as he walked outside a bit nervously.

"_It's an honor to meet you Miss Hamilton."_

"_You can't possibly know me as well."_

"_How could I not? It was big news in the city I lived in. Everyone saw you and your co-star perform one of the greatest stunts of all time."_

Layla rubbed her eyelids trying to relieve the mounting tension. _"Isn't there a place where nobody knows me?"_

"_I'm not sure about that. Even Paddy has seen you on television at that time."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_Yes. Most definitely. And not just you, your partner is well-known to those who around here own a television. Sora Naegino, right?"_

Somehow that comment made Layla smile despite the mispronunciation. **You're famous even in Africa Sora, so much you don't even know it. But you never did pay attention to the fame anyway. **

"_Yes. I should have taken her on this trip with me."_

"_Ooh." _the man said in glee. _"That would have been even luckier to meet the two of you. But if I remember right, you two didn't star in any other show together, because you were injured."_

"_Yes. That's basically what happened."_

"_It's somewhat of a shame though. You performed so wonderfully with her."_

"_Indeed, but I still perform on my own stage."_

"_That is good to hear. I would like to see that one day. And what about Miss Naegino, is she still performing?"_

"_Yes, she took my place as star of Kaleido Stage."_

"_Then I am sure you left the stage in capable hands."_

"_I didn't leave it to her," _Layla politely corrected. _"She earned it herself."_

"_Oh, now I see that you two must be truly good friends. I mean it has to be suspected since you risked your lives together."_

The former Kaleido Star thought about what he just said. Although unsure how the conversation ended up about Sora, she hardly ever heard anyone place them as friends.

**Maybe that's what has been disturbing me for some while. I haven't seen Sora in a few months.**

"_It's great for you two to be friends rather than just a professional relationship."_

Layla smiled again and agreed. _"I guess you're right."_

**Even though we're friends, we haven't really done things outside the stage. I really should have taken her with me. When I get back I'll make sure I we'll spend some time together, not as performers or as partners, but as friends.**

With that resolution in mind, Layla ended her journey of self-discovery, and began a simple vacation. A vacation, she would from now on enjoy to the fullest.

As she finished that thought, an unnatural roar was heard in the distance, followed by a rapidly approaching dust-cloud. Soon, a large jeep emerged from the cloud. At the wheel in the driver's seat sat a middle-aged man with black hair that was starting to gray with age. The dust and sand didn't spare him as he was covered in it.

To Layla's growing horror, the man's driving was almost insane. He was either starting to lose control of the vehicle, or seriously pissed about something, and was going to take it out on Thulani and herself.

At the last second, the tires screeched as the man slammed a foot on the brakes and jerked the wheel to one side, causing the jeep to abruptly stop, but not without almost tipping it over from the force. With the engine still coughing, the man hopped out in a hurry.

"_Welcome back Paddy," _Thulani kindly greeted casually.

"_Don't you give me any of that fuzzy welcome back stuff! I need to get on the phone."_

"_Wait. We have a guest. Don't be rude. Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"_

"_I'll tell you what's wrong!" _Paddy practically screamed, not paying any attention to Layla. _"That blasted piece of junk over there almost got me killed!"_

"_How can that happen?"_

"_It's as slow as a turtle! How do you expect me to do my drive-by of famous predators if I don't have the proper speed?"_

Thulani chuckled half-heartedly. _"You know you're not allowed to do that, especially with the tourists. But is that all that's wrong with it?"_

"_What do you mean ALL?" _Old Paddy continued to yell, but Thulani seemed to handle his behavior with ease. _"What am I supposed to do when I meet an elephant or a rhino? Do you think holding my ground will deter all of them? Especially now that some of the elephant bulls in the region have entered musth."_

"_Musth?" _Layla repeated wanting to finally get Paddy's attention, and get the tour she came for.

But Paddy was not in a cooperating mood. _"And who might you be?" _he enquired with a sneer. Layla returned the gesture with a cool expression.

Sensing a build-up of hostility, Thulani felt the need to intervene. _"She's Layla Hamilton- the great acrobat and actress."_

"_Oh, well don't mind me if I'm rude, but I sure as hell don't have time to handle some famous papa's princess who can do a couple of tricks."_

"_Paddy! You can't talk to her like that!"_

"_I can't well listen to this. Miss Layla, I'm sure you're a wonderful person and all, but you can move your V.I.P behind back to Malibu or wherever you so-called stars live. Tours are closed."_

"_Paddy! Stop being so childish-"_

"_It's not a problem." _Layla said putting a reassuring hand on Thulani's shoulder. _"I know how to handle people like him."_

"_My, my. Aren't we getting bold all of a sudden" _Paddy mocked. _"What could you possibly do to change my mind?"_

"_I know people like you, and I know for a fact that people who talk like you can't back up anything they say."_

"_Please, Miss Layla," _pleaded Thulani. _"You mustn't anger him."_

"_Don't worry, I know his type, and have dealt with them before."_

"_Have you now? Haven't you ever met someone who could back up what they say?"_

"_They certainly don't talk like you do." _Then in a mocking tone she added, _"Paddy."_

"_And what if I'm not bluffing?" _he questioned dangerously.

"_Well then. I guess we'll have to find out." _Layla replied coolly as she gave him an even colder glare.

Thulani rubbed his arms as it suddenly got chilly, despite the hot weather.

Paddy and Layla stared challengingly at each other, simply waiting for the other to back down and admit defeat.

After what seemed like an eternity to Thulani, but in reality it was only about a minute, Paddy with his grizzly bear appearance and death-glare started to softly chuckle from the back of his throat, then burst into all out laughter.

"_You never change." _breathed Thulani covering his face, clearly relieved that nothing escalated but still a bit shaken up. Actually, it was Layla who was surprised; people who acted like him normally reacted in a totally different manner.

Eventually stopping his laughter and wiping his eyes, Paddy gave Layla a playful smack on the back, which almost tripped her. _"You're just as the rumors say Miss Layla Hamilton."_

Unsure how to respond she simply said_, "Just 'Layla' will be fine."_

"_Right. Layla. I like you. You got guts."_

"_I need to in my profession."_

"_Ah. Same here. I think I'll put you up against a lion to see how much nerve you really have."_

"_Don't joke like that Paddy."_said Thulani.

"_Then you'll give me a tour," _Layla asked cautiously

"_Oh, but of course. For a minimal fee you to can experience the wonders of Africa! But as you can see we're experiencing 'technical difficulties'- meaning that that son of a monkey Wesley did a lousy job fixing this car."_

Just as Paddy said that, the radio in one of the houses buzzed to life.

"_Wesley to Paddy. Wesley to Paddy. Come in please. Thulani are you there?"_

"_Well, speak of the devil." _Paddy joked as he went inside and took up the microphone.

"_I'm so gonna' kick your ass when I get my hands on you Wez."_

"_Ack. Paddy. I hoped to get a hold of Thulani first."_

"_So you could tell him that you screwed up my jeep?!"_

"_To tell him that he should pick up a part that you sent out to maintenance last week."_

"_I can't believe it!" _exclaimed Thulani in disbelief as he slapped himself over the forehead. _"He goes crazy about something that he forgot!"_

Paddy could only cough in shame and shortly said to Wesley, _"I'm on my way," _before hanging up.

"_Well, I'm off then."_

"_Oh, no. You're not going alone just to forget something again." _scolded the apprentice wanting to avoid future mishaps. _"Would you mind waiting for a while, Miss Hamilton?"_

"_I don't mind as long as you don't take too long."_

"_Thank you for your kindness, then"_

"_Right, let's take the 'Wiener' into town."_

**Wiener? **thought Layla observing the two walking inside one of the houses. Upon closer inspection, it was actually a garage. After a few moments an engine started and from the garage the Wiener appeared. It was a long, open-top car that looked like it could hold up to about eight passengers.

"_We'll be back in a few hours" s_aid Thulani, even as Paddy barged in and added, _"Don't worry, we'll take you on a real safari when I get back and then you'll experience one of my famous wildlife-drive-bys!_

"_I look forward to that."_

"_Sit tight" _Paddy said as he stepped on the gas, burning rubber.

Only a short distance away, Layla heard Paddy exclaim,_ "The adventure has only begun!"_

Alone again with some time to kill, Layla could contemplate on the events that had just transpired, and spend a while getting to know her surroundings. She however found herself anxious for her guide's return so that she could finally get started.

"_Only 4 o'clock?" _said Layla to herself a bit disappointed to be still in the middle of the day, especially after all that had happened a while ago. _"I wonder how much longer they will need." _

Layla knew that she had to be patient, but she just couldn't wait in a situation like this. She wanted hurry up and make some good memories of this place, something that she knew Sora would enjoy hearing about. However none of that could happen until Paddy and Thulani returned.

Layla looked around once more and spotted Paddy's jeep which he said was too slow. However, Paddy demonstrated earlier that it could go terribly fast. Layla approached closer to the vehicle. She remembered seeing the same type of jeep back in San Francisco.

Under closer examination, Layla found that Paddy was truly forgetful- he had left the keys inside. An idea struck, but she quickly dropped it. **If only…**

After a second, andquite impulsively, Layla decided to take matters into her own hands and jumped inside the monstrous vehicle.

She had never driven before because there was no real need, but she learned casually from watching Cathy and Yuri. Now it was time to put what she observed to the test.

Despite a few initial difficulties to put the jeep into gear, Layla quickly learned how to maneuver it. Thankfully she was in a wide open area, so no traffic rules had to be followed. Layla knew she was taking a huge risk, but she figured as long as she avoided the animals she would be alright.

All ready to go, Layla chose a random direction and headed towards it, with no clear destination in mind. All she knew at this point was the cool breeze in her hair, and the determination to experience this country's wonder through her own eyes.

And so Layla set off with Paddy's words in her mind. **The adventure has only begun.**

* * *

I'm sorry for the long wait, but other education got in the way.

Hope it won't take this long next time.

Big thanks to **Falling Awake** for proofreading and for the damn good suggestions. Having a native speaker on your side helps.

I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to leave a review.

This is far from over!


	8. Chapter 8

Before we start I have a little clearing up to do:

**Yūrei** are Japanese ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, (yuu) meaning faint or dim and (rei) meaning soul or spirit.

The sun had risen high into the sky a while ago, it was almost noon at the Kaleido Stage dormitories. But instead of the usual hustle and bustle, the hallways remained quiet. The only person to break the silence was Sarah Dupont, who had been up since the crack of dawn to practice her "martial arts".

The rest of the crew were all sleeping in, but that didn't stop one little Spirit of the Stage to look after them. Passing from window to window, entering each room he had access to, Fool checked on the state of each of the performers.

**Ben … Marsha … Mia …Anna, **he counted whilst passing each room. **Damian … Laura … May … **

It took him a good half hour to check up on everyone and be certain that he hadn't forgotten anyone. Assured, he returned to Sora's room to find her still fast asleep. Even on lazy Sunday afternoons it was rare for the Kaleido Star to sleep in like that.

**These kids will be the death of me, **the Spirit mused still a bit upset about yesterday's event. Landing on a table he began mumbling to himself.

"_Couldn't anyone have told me they were going out? Waking up in the middle of the night and finding out that everyone had gone missing. Really, now… so inconsiderate. Someone should have told me. If I hadn't seen the forms in Sarah's room, I might have thought they all got kidnapped- or worse."_

Not able to drop the issue, Fool started to walk circles on the table he was on, further lamenting. _"I help them become better performers everyday, and this is the thanks I get? I must be the most unappreciated soul in this place … besides the janitor, but he at least gets greeted now and then."_

Having walked enough circles, Fool sat himself on Sora's cell phone. He couldn't explain it himself but he could always relax while sitting on it.

"_Ungrateful brats," _he ended with finality, and then looked down at the display of the phone. He didn't understand what all the things written there were, but there was something different this time.

"_Hmm … I've seen this before … what did it mean again?"_

The Spirit of the Stage was not in tune with modern appliances since he developed a slight fear of them, especially after the incident with the vacuum-cleaner. He still knew roughly however what the television was and what the toaster was for, but the ever-changing mobile phones he never even bothered to understand.

Since arriving here, Sora changed phones quite often due to receiving a new one every few months or so from her friends back in Japan. Because Sora was not around them as much as she used to, they at least wanted to keep her up to date with what the latest rage was back home.

Fool knew that it was something that was most likely important, so he opted to wake Sora. The lavender-haired girl was blissfully unaware of the Spirit's attempt to wake her and wouldn't even respond after he pinched and poked her a couple of times. **Only one thing left to do.**

With all other possibilities exhausted, the Spirit of the Stage proceeded to the clock on the counter next to the bed.

"_Where was that button again?" _He found it and the ring of the alarm was as annoying as ever, but it got the job done.

Sora, still half asleep reached out to where she knew the clock would be, but didn't count on the fact that she was already on the edge of her bed and inevitably fell face-first onto the carpet.

"_Ungh," _Sora moaned with displeasure.

"_Rise and shine! Time to get up and smell the flowers," _Fool greeted in almost in a singing tone. _"It's a bright new day and I have something to tell you."_

"_Ungh," _the Japanese girl moaned again still face-flat on the floor. _"Leave me alone, it's Sunday."_

"_Come on. That's not the way for a Kaleido Star to behave. You should be up and doing triple summersaults while brushing your teeth."_

"_It's too early in the morning for me to even humor you."_

"_Too early? It's almost noon."_

"_I don't care," _Sora said pulling herself back up into bed with her arms, dragging her feet like rags behind her. _"I'm on vacation so you can take your early morning annoyance to someone else."_

"_I would, but Rosetta is still asleep."_

"_And you just __**had**__ to wake me up instead? You mean spirit. I should call you a poltergeist." _Sora pulled the cover over her eyes. _"Ack, my hair hurts."_

"_Your hair? You sound like a junky, I thought you went out dancing last night …Speaking of which, why was I the last to find out what you were planning?"_

"_I didn't think you would need to know."_

"_Of course I did!" _the Spirit exclaimed, _"you had me worried sick."_

"_Geez, you sound like someone's mother. I can very well take care of myself." _Getting more annoyed, Sora pulled the cover from her face. _"Curse you, now I lost my sleep." _

"_Well now at least you can start the day," _the spirit said landing on the girl's head much her annoyance. _"Now go and take a shower."_

Sora's hand jerked quickly catching Fool unawares._ "Damn it. Can't you ever say something else? It really drives me crazy."_

Getting his mouth out of the death-grip Fool tried to explain. _"Really now, I'm not joking. After all, you came back to your room drenched in sweat, so I imagine you're not the freshest flower in the field. Also if you haven't noticed, you still have last night's clothes on."_

Sora released the spirit, and checked herself, surprised to find that Fool was correct. It took a moment for her to remember but she did recall having barely made it home in one piece last night after a long, but fun night out. Totally exhausted, she barely managed to take off her shoes and throw herself into bed.

"_I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you're right Fool, I should take a shower."_

The Spirit only smirked. _"So did you have fun? I saw even May was with you. I never thought her to be someone to enjoy such an event."_

"_Yeah, it was fun, but if I knew I'd end up this drained I would have held back."_

"_At least take pride in having done something for the stage other than performing. You managing to get all the performers into town without any incidents is quite the accomplishment, which tells me that you're taking your responsibilities seriously."_

"_Maybe, but I haven't ever thought of myself as the leader-type like Layla. _**There it is again, **Sora thought as once more her thoughts turned to her former partner.

"_Probably, but now I see you're really showing some real top star qualities."_

"_How unexpectedly nice of you to say, but are you saying that I've not been a real top star all these months?"_

"_Yes, and no- it takes more than skill to reach the very top."_

"'_Top' eh? …" _Sora said thinking about her position. _"Fool?"_

"_Mhm?"_

"_What's next?"_

"_What?" _the Spirit asked not sure what she meant.

"_I mean, what do I need to do now? You've always set a goal for me which I then accomplish. First, it was completing the Legendary Maneuver, and then it was becoming a true star, but now what?"_

"_Uh … well … I don't really think that there is more for you to do as a performer. Rather you should guide the next potential star." _

"_Oh," _she said a bit sadly.

"_What's wrong? You've been acting odd lately. If it's about the stage I think you're too young to be having some sort of midlife-crisis just because you reached the top here."_

"_Yeah … Maybe you're right."_

"_Don't worry; you'll be attending many meetings in a few months, not to mention making appearances at festivals around the world. Right now, you really don't even have time for anything else," _he reassured her.

**Anything else? **Sora wondered if her life went any further than the large glass doors of the Kaleido Stage. She suddenly felt years beyond her actual age. **Are things normally like this?** But the problem was that Sora was no ordinary teenager- she knew what the reality was.

**Almost three years and I've progressed from a simple nobody to a very important somebody. I'm the Kaleido Star … I've taken on so many burdens and responsibilities, I wonder if this is what being an adult is like.**

Whatever started this line of thought continued as Sora couldn't help but dwell upon it.

**When did this happen? Did I stop being the hopeful** **teenager trying to fulfill her dream?**

"_Fool, have I changed?" _Sora questioned the Spirit who had been regarding her contemplative expression.

"_What's with this question now?" _he asked in return, not sure what to make of her query.

"_Just answer me."_

"_For one thing, you're a bit more responsible and you possess a sharper wit than when we first met. But all-around I'd still say you're the happy-go-lucky Sora."_

The plum-haired girl felt relieved hearing that.

"_Ah- and your bust has gotten larger."_

Sora's only response to that remark was to groan and try to grab Fool, but he was far too high above her.

"_You'll get a ride in the toilet for that."_

The Spirit let out an obnoxious chuckle. _"Still the same Sora. You're too young to be having a mid-life crisis … Then again there is the quarter-life crisis, but I can't see why you out of all people, would even think about such things given your happy simplicity."_

"_Gee, you sure know how to cheer me up," _Sora said sarcastically, _"make that two rides in the toilet."_

"_Oh, I'm pretty sure this malicious treatment of yours is just a show of affection towards me," _Fool teased with the same stupid smile.

"_Oh yeah. Ha-ha," _she responded flatly. _"I love you so much."_

**Did I just say that? There's nothing wrong with saying something like that is there? Then why do I feel like I'm lying? … Wait a minute, it is a lie! I'm just humoring Fool. … But why does it sound weird? Probably because I never use that word. **

"_Oh, I'm sure you do. But I think I couldn't stand any more of your 'love'," _Fool replied oblivious to the little mental conundrum that Sora just had.

She could only reply with a confused _"Wha-?"_

"_Lost again? You sure you're alright? I'm starting to think more and more that you did something stupid last night."_

"_Uhm … noth- I mean NO! I didn't do anything!" _Sora replied offended.

"_Then why are you acting so strange?" _he further probed.

"_It's nothing; I'm still tired that's all."_

"_Then go take a shower already, this confused Sora is getting too weird for me." _

Sora didn't say anything else. Instead she wondered if the Spirit was right about her.

**Does it look so obvious? Am I really that confused, but over what? Is it about not being a kid anymore? **

After changing and getting under the shower her thoughts continued.

**Sure, no one can stay a kid forever and it's not like I didn't want this to begin with. … Why is it that I feel I'm missing out on something? … Why does it feel that if I continue like this I will never get it?**

**Get **_**what**_

**Ack, I'm thinking too much. I am Sora Naegino.** **I am living my dream of being a performer and am surrounded by loving friends. Despite all that has happened to me, that has never really changed, it's just become truer and truer. **

**Yes, that's right I am and will always be, Sora.**

After drying her hair, Sora calmed partially and was now staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. **This whole leader business seems to come with so many unexpected complications.**

Up until now, everyone needed Sora just as a motivator and although she really started mentoring Rosetta, she didn't have any real weight on her shoulders aside from being on top of her game.

As yesterday had shown, it was more difficult to be in charge over other people than to improve oneself.

**In these cases why do I still ask myself, "What would Layla do?" She always seemed so graceful even in tight situations. Even when I and many others placed their hopes in her, she kept her cool and never said a word. Maybe that's why I'm so surprised by this- Layla made it look a lot easier than what it actually was.**

"_So you really have changed," _Sora informed her reflection in the mirror, and peering under the towel which covered her body she recalled Fool's earlier remark about her bust.

"_Only he would notice such things. I guess there are more aspects to being grown up than what I thought"._

Refreshed and ready for the day to begin, the Kaleido Star finally felt much better. Although not yet fully comprehending her thoughts, she felt that she was starting to take small steps in the right direction.

"_All done? My, my. Aren't we all nice and clean now?" _Fool remarked as Sora emerged from the bathroom.

"_You make it sound like a crime, but yeah."_

"_That's nice."_

"_You know-"_

"_What?"_

" _-Because we were talking about having changed."_

"_Correction- you talked. I was just trying to piss you off to the best of my abilities."_

"_Yeah, whatever. I mean don't you think you've changed?"_

"_What do you mean? I'm Fool, Spirit of the Stage, a constant in this world as long as performers exist," _he declared proudly.

"_I'm saying that you've become more… I don't know- normal- I guess is the best word."_

"_Why would you say that?"_

"_The best example I can think of is that you haven't tried to peep when I'm in the shower; consequently I haven't tied you up in quite a while."_

"_Why would I peep if I alre- I mean yes! I guess you're right," _Fool quickly corrected.He had wisely reconsidered finishing that first sentence, unless he wished to play a dangerous game. A game he always lost.

But Sora did see the old-Fool's, "I did something wrong and probably very perverted" look, even if it was for just a second.

Blinking several times in utter disbelief, Sora turned in shock and shrieked.

"_YOU DIDN'T!"_

"_It was a harmless peek! I didn't even intend to look that time! I was just on the way to ... uhh ... floss my teeth!"_

"_I'll floss YOU!" _Sora screamed, snatching Fool from midair. _"You dirty little excuse for a yūrei. I'm sooo gonna flush you down the toilet!"_

"_No! Sora, wait! I'm telling you it was just an accident!"_

Unfortunately for him, Fool's protests however remained unheard by anyone except Sora who was the only one who could perceive him right now. A few good minutes passed and the only thing that could be heard was the flushing and then a swirling of water.

For Fool, it meant being ruthlessly tossed about in the abyssal torrents of the toilet, gasping and swimming for dear life.

Sora ignored his cries for mercy as she sat on the toilet seat cover; she always found a small satisfaction in bringing justice to the perverted spirit. And, although for a just cause, there was a small bit of malice involved- an uncharacteristic trait in normal circumstances, but this situation was far from normal.

With the vortex to the Abyss at an end, Fool's gasps could be heard from within the toilet bowl. _"Oh god," _he mustered with what little strength he had left.

"_Now dear old friend, what do you have to tell me? What do I need to hear after you saw me bare?"_

"_Uhm …Oh! You looked great!"_

"_Wrong!" _she answered, not taking his compliment as the proper apology.

Hell again unleashed as the vortex reopened on poor Fool. Eventually the torrent stopped, and the bowl refilled and Sora asked again.

"_Now, what is it that you have to say in this situation?"_

"_Uhhh …Uncle?"_

"_That's pretty close … but… no."_

Again the gates to Oblivion were opened and Fool found it harder to remain afloat this time. After a while, the current subsided and Fool knew that he wouldn't last another flush.

"_Now, what do you have to tell me, Fool?"_

"_I'm sorry!" _he screamed desperately.

"_Good enough," _Sora concluded getting up from the seat, but became distracted as someone knocked on the front door.

Still inside the dark chamber, Fool heard her leave and looked up at the crescent of light formed by the cover. He floated up closer and felt as if he was entering heaven.

"_Freedom!" _he yelled as he fell onto the bathroom tiles. _"When will you ever learn to shut the hell up you fool?" _he scolded himself, then slapped himself over the forehead as he realized what he just said, _"No pun intended."_

"_Just a minute," _Sora yelled as the knocking persisted.

Opening the door Sora greeted her guest. _"Yes, what is it? Oh, Sarah it's you!"_

The British singer however carried an expression of concern on her normally cheery face, which in turn caused Sora to worry. _"Is there something wrong?"_

"_I should ask you that. Are you feeling ok?"_

"_Yes," _Sora replied confused, _"why wouldn't I?"_

"_Well, I was helping the janitor by cleaning the rails here when I heard you flush the toilet several times. Are you sure you're all right? You can't be too careful with these kinds of illnesses," S_arah continued with the look only a worrying mother could give.

"_Oh, no no no. I was just caught up in a moment and kept doing the same thing over and over. Sorry if I worried you."_

Miraculously, the worried expression vanished. _"Thank goodness! I wouldn't want our top star to get sick during her vacation."_

"_Thanks for worrying," _Sora said with a soft smile at Sarah's relieved expression.

"_But you know- you should be more careful and try not to waste water like that. Everyone has to do his best to be as economical as possible."_

"_Sorry, I'll do my best."_

"_I hope so; our budget isn't getting bigger."_

"_It isn't?"_

"_Well officially no, but we'll be investing in better equipment. Anyways, Sora, that's beside the point. I also would like to point out that you keep your TV on for far too long. I mean I always hear your TV on even when I know you're training or at the Stage."_

"_Um… Sorry about that. I'll try to improve myself," _Sora apologized.

**I can't tell her that I'm leaving the television on for Fool so he doesn't get bored during the day. Well, she might believe it, but I don't want to appear as if I'm making up excuses.**

"_Very well, then. So how are you today? Slept enough?"_

"_Yes, I was very tired after last night."_

"_Oh! Congratulations by the way."_

"_Congratulations?"_

"_Yes. I saw you all come in early this morning; I couldn't really sleep knowing all that could happen to you out there. And I must say that seeing you all returned safely and a beat- up- by- jolly- bunch, is quite an impressive show of organization."_

"_Th- thank you. But it wasn't just me- Rosetta and the others helped me too."_

"_Still, seeing you all tired as heck, but smiling like idiots, I think it's safe to say everyone had fun."_

"_Well I guess so."_

"_And the rookies! The ones that had issues between each other were talking like the best of chaps, carrying themselves lumbering on back here._

_And you should have seen May!"_

"_May?"_

"_You don't remember?"_

"_It's still a bit of a blur," Sora confessed._

"_She was prattling all the way, saying that everyone else whimpered out for not having lasted as long as she did. I'm guessing she had fun as well."_

"_Ah! I think I remember. She was the only one capable of talking after yesterday night."_

"_Pretty much. So ready to go out?"_

"_Go out? I was thinking of spending today resting."_

"_Oh no no. We can't have that; we need to gather everyone for exercises."_

"_What?" _Sora said in disbelief. _"After yesterday, I mean today, I mean after the party I don't think anyone wants to get up and exercise."_

"_You're right, but we can't let everyone become dull and fall behind in their daily training. Besides, the best way to get rid of sore limbs is to exercise."_

"_I hope you're right." _Sora said remembering her own aching body, especially her upper legs. _"I'll be ready in a minute then."_

"_I'm not going anywhere."_

With that, Sora rushed to her room to clean up somewhat and get on more appropriate clothes.

Soaked, Fool came from the bathroom barely walking straight.

"_I've been to hell and back."_

"_Oh stop whining, you brought it upon yourself."_

"_Purgatory then."_

The giddiness from punishing the perverted Spirit returned, and Sora raised a finger to her chin. With a thoughtful expression she thought out loud,_ "I wonder if this can be considered as toilet-humor."_

"_Oh HA-HA," _said Fool as he mock-laughed not appreciating the pun at his expense.

"_Well __**I**__ thought it was funny. Anyway I'm off- you go out to the balcony and dry or I'll have to put you in the dryer."_

"_Meanie. If I wasn't already dead, I would have surely been dead by now."_

"_Oh! And before I forget, don't turn on the TV; you're wasting too much electricity and those TV-shows aren't good for you anyway."_

"_Hey, wait a minute," _the Spirit protested, squeezing his hair. _"What do you want me to do the rest of the day then?"_

"_Read a book or something."_

"_You don't have any books."_

"_Then I guess … no wait. I think I have something for you to read," _Sora said just as she remembered the packages she had received over the months from her friends back in Japan.

"_You do? What?" _Fool asked curiously still sitting outside drying.

"_Manga."_

"_What?"_

"_Manga – Japanese comics."_

"_Do I look like I can read Japanese?"_

"_Don't worry. Most of them are translated; my friends who sent them thought it'd be nice to show my friends here a selection of our .. uhh… you can call it- literature._

_I haven't read them yet myself being so busy. I just remembered that these came with the last package. Here I'll leave them on the table. There's a cutter in the drawer. Anyway I'm off."_

"_Whatever." _Fool grumpily replied still upset over what had happened. However, all the flushing in the world could ever flush away the image of a naked Sora from his head.

He wasn't calling himself perverted for peeping, preferring to refer to himself as an "appreciative soul to God's creations."

**She does look good even if she admits it or not. I hope she gets a boyfriend soon, and then I could really see something. **

"_Phew! Good thing I didn't think that out-loud_," Fool breathed, glad that Sora was already out the door.

Sora had just begun the day, but was already faced with a difficult task. Yesterday, she had to convince the younger performers to have fun, but now she had to get them to do the almost exact opposite.

"_So where do we begin?" _asked Sora as she rejoined Sarah, knowing she needed a brilliant plan to get this to work.

"_Well, I'll start with this block and you go into the other. I think you should go to May. I already saw her this morning and she wasn't at all tired. Also she seemed in higher spirits than usual."_

"_Hm … handy that."_

"_You should take her along with you and get everyone out of bed. She's …demanding enough."_

"_Persuasive," _corrected Sora half-joking.

"_Any-who, get everyone out and we'll meet in front of the dorms in … I dunno … twenty minutes."_

"_Ok, I'll try my best," _said Sora leaving for May's dorm.

"_I'm sure you will," _assured Sarah. Focused on the task at hand, she started rolling up her sleeves like she was preparing for a scuffle and walked off.

In a quick dash, Sora was at May's door and could already hear futile protests coming from Sarah's side of the building. She dearly hoped May could help her and knocked a few times.

Her hand didn't even make it to the door a third time as it was swung open with a bright and cheerful May standing there to greet her.

"_Good Morning!"_

Still confused by this honestly bright and happy May, Sora greeted her. _"G-g morning."_

"_What's with you? You drunk or something?"_

Relieved that May was still snappy even under that wide smile, the Kaleido Star remembered her task. _"No-no, just a little bit tired still."_

"_Tired!? You!? That's unacceptable! C'mon, I'm a little sore, but you should be like doing summersaults while brushing your teeth!"_

**Heard that one before, **Sora thought slightly disturbed.

"_C'mon, I'll show you you're fit. I'll race you to the stage and back!"_

"_No no. We don't need to. Just listen a bit; I need your help."_

Curious the Chinese girl raised an eyebrow. _"Ok…this usually isn't a good sign. Don't tell me you got yourself screwed somehow."_

"_No …I…"_

"_Do I need to get a shovel?"_

"_What? No! Listen, I need you to come with me and help me get everyone out of their rooms and downstairs for morning exercises."_

"_How…considerate of you."_

"_It was Sarah's idea."_

"_Oh."_

"_Can I count on your help?"_

"_Sure, why not? I haven't shaken someone out of sleep since I was a first-year in high-school."_

"_Great, let's go_." She didn't even want to ask.

Now accompanied, but more appropriately, "armed" with May, Sora proceeded with her appointed mission.

The first rooms were easy enough and offered no real resistance. To May's dismay, only weak complaints which were swept away by a gentle smile and request from Sora did the trick.

"_Boring," _May yawned unimpressed by this pretty chit-chat as they arrived at James' door. He was a decent performer, although prone to an occasional fit of prima donna attitude.

Today was one of those occasions.

Sora repeatedly knocked, shouting out his name, _"Jamey, open up!"_

"_That's no good," _interrupted May brushing her friend aside. _"You have to be political about this."_

May paused for a moment and stood completely motionless.

Then she attacked.

"_Jamey! Get your two-bit Kentucky- butt outta here so I can knock some sense into your thick skull!"_

" …_Political …" _the Kaleido Star echoed quietly. "Figures."

"_Answer damn it!"_ swore May as she assaulted the door.

After a few moments the door finally opened, revealing James with a towel around his waist and another wrapped around his head.

"_Hey, what's with all the commotion? Oh, hi Sora."_

"_Hi" _she friendly responded.

"_Oh, hey May."_

"_Don't you 'hey May' me! Get your worthless ass dressed and downstairs in ten minutes for early morning practice!"_

"_Awww, grumpy again? You know that a charming gentleman like me can't be forced to such things, only persuaded."_

"_You want persuasion? How about a punch in the face?"_

With horror, James responded in true actor's fashion. _"Not the face, anywhere but the face!"_

"_Then move it."_

"_I dunno …"_

"_You don't know?!" _ May all but shrieked at the end of her tether.

"_Well- I gotta do my facial, clip my nails, dry and beautify my heavenly locks… you know that a gorgeous man like me doesn't just drop from the sky."_

"_Why you little-" _the Chinese girl started. She then grabbed the towel from the man's head, knocking him down. As he got up and tried to escape she lashed out with the towel.

"_DEVIL'S WHIP!"_

"_Yeaouch! _" James hollered out in pain. _"All right! All right! I'll be down in a minute."_

"_I'll be timing you." _replied May warningly even as James slammed the door.

Victorious, May turned her attention to Sora. _"Next?"_

"_Uhmm … Sure." _she answered a bit disturbed by the malicious act, but more disturbed by the satisfied grin. Sora noticed that May kept the towel, probably to use later for cruel and unusual punishment.

But then again, Sora had to guiltily admit that she'd done something similar today so she couldn't really claim that May was totally mean-spirited.

A few uneventful doors later, they arrived before Tasha's room. Her arrival at Kaleido Stage was different from the other newbies- she was a runaway- and had begged to be sheltered here. Luckily for her, there was vacancy due to the leaving of the sister duo of Brandy and Kim. With the promise of leaving her past troubles far behind, Tasha was allowed to stay. Despite the tough-girl attitude, she got along well enough.

May stopped Sora before she could knock, _"Wait, I've got a better idea."_

"_What do you want to do now?" _Sora asked warily and seriously wondered if she should allow May to proceed with whatever she had planned. It couldn't be something decent.

"_I know a more efficient way."_

"_I'm not sure if I should let you do this."_

"_You just stand back and watch."_

Puffing out her chest and gathering her breath, May stood for a moment before shouting in the lowest voice she could muster, _"Open up! It's the Cape Mary Police Department!"_

Shortly after that, the Chinese girl pinned her ear against the door to hear one curt, but clearly audible- _"Shit!"_ which was then followed by the sound of the balcony door sliding open.

"_She fell for it!" _exclaimed May excitedly and running down the steps.

Sora quickly put two and two together and suspected that the girl had jumped off the balcony. Thankfully it was just one story and Tasha was quite agile.

Focused on running for dear life, Tasha didn't even look back as she was apprehended by

"Officer" May, who then used that moment to do her impersonation once again.

"_Hold up Missy. Put your hands behind your back!"_

Tasha complied angrily, _"You ain't got shit on me."_

"_See if I care. Get on the ground. Flat, you hear me? Flat!"_

"_Jesus!" _the runaway exclaimed, _"at least read me my rights."_

"_You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say and do can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have one, one will be provided."_

"_Is that all?" _Tasha demanded hearing it all before.

"_No." _May changed back to normal. _"You have the right to look dumb, turn around and get really pissed."_

The girl did just as May had hoped and saw that Tasha had the most shocked and pissed off face anyone could imagine.

"_Don't you EVER dare mess with me like that again_!" the girl fumed.

Sora now unassisted by May, finished her block and came to the last room which was Rosetta's. She knocked a few times then tried the door. As expected the petite girl forgot to lock her door _again._

The Japanese girl made her way to the bedroom where she suspected her friend to be and found her there deep asleep. The covers were as usual, on the ground leaving her stomach exposed. This was a bad habit that somehow Rosetta inherited from Sora.

Sora didn't want to abruptly wake the peacefully slumbering girl, and found it amusing that a feather was resting on the edge of her mouth. It would only need one single sharp intake of breath for the feather to be inhaled.

"_Rosetta … Rosetta," _Sora called out gently as she remembered the countless times her mother did the same when she had trouble getting decent sleep when she was younger.

Carefully nudging her head, Sora got no response. She just couldn't bring herself to awake her friend.** If only she didn't look like a small angel sleeping.**

"_FIRE!" _was suddenly shouted from behind.

Spooked out of her mind, Sora jumped forward, landing on Rosetta's belly which made the young Diabolo prodigy exhale dramatically, sending the feather from the edge of her mouth into the air. Instinct kicked in, and Rosetta deeply inhaled and sucked in the feather, swallowing it, causing her to choke and cough.

Sora got up, her expression deathly pale as she turned to May whose only response was to laugh like a maniac. Poor Rosetta simply sat there in a daze.

"_Did you have to do that?" _ Sora asked, still shocked and now irritated.

"_Of course," _May responded easily.

"_Wha- what's going on?" _Rosetta questioned now wide awake.

"_Oh, I'm so sorry for waking you. May is sorry too…"_

"_No I'm not."_

"_She didn't mean that."_

"_Yes I did."_

"_Can't you be nice in the morning for a change?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Never mind," _Rosetta interrupted. _"__**Why**__ did you wake me so early?"_

"_Well actually, it's noon. Everyone is being called outside for exercises."_

"_Whose idea was this?"_

"_Sarah, but I agreed to it as well."_

"_Oh ok, I'll be down in a minute."_

"_Great." _Sora finished, dragging May with her so she couldn't cause any more trouble.

Another ten minutes passed and everyone was finally outside… looking beaten up and lifeless. They all groaned and muttered their displeasure.

"_I'm tired."_

"_I'm dead."_

"_My head hurts."_

"_I can't feel my legs."_

"_Well at least you can still feel your butt," _James joked.

Sarah joined up with the group and greeted everyone cheerfully. _"It's nice to have you all here on such short notice … What's with the towel May?"_

"_Oh, nothing," _she answered playfully with fake smile of innocence, throwing said towel around Sora's neck.

"_In any case let's get started."_

"_Hold it a minute. Not so fast," _interrupted May going over to Sarah with a challenging stare.

The martial artist picked up on the intent and returned the steely glare with one of her own. "_You first."_

"_No no, you first, I insist."_

"_Very well," _complied Sarah, and began counting on her fingers exaggeratingly. _"I got three scared to death and one caught showering."_

"_Impressive. I got one rude awakening, one scared to death but with an attempt to escape, and one physical injury."_

"_Not bad. I think we'll call this a tie." _Both women nodded at each other.

Everyone who witnessed this scene began to suspect if it had been a game all along.

Sora asked the one question on everyone's minds. _"Wait a minute. Did you two plan this?"_

"_Of course not," _answered both women at the same time, angelic smiles plastered onto their faces.

"_We won't put up with this you know," _warned one of the performers who had been cruelly awakened.

"_Yeah!" _James agreed, the only one standing whilst everyone was sitting for obvious reasons.

"_Stop your whining. Rosetta is more fit than any of you. Are you telling me you have a weaker constitution than a short, scrawny, fourteen year-old girl? No offence Rosetta," _May quickly added.

"_None taken," _replied the short-haired girl obviously insulted, but hiding her irritation with indifference.

"_Let me handle this," _offered Sora not wanting to have another fight on her hands.

"_Even though you're on vacation, you all still have to prove yourselves. We have here- present with us, the co-founder of Kaleido Stage. Not to mention the most influential cast members that you can have. I think this is prime time to impress and earn privileges."_

"_Yeah! Like training with me for example, and improving your untalented butts," _May jumped in.

Silence followed as everyone reconsidered if that really was a privilege- or a punishment.

Sora, seeing their indecision began again, _"what May means is that if you don't shape up you'll have to endure being trained by her."_

"_Hey, that's mean!" _May exclaimed.

"_But true," _added Rosetta being the only one who really knew what it meant to train with the master of "Demon-Spiral".

"_Humph," _May huffed not having any counterargument.

This prospect seemed to work wonders for everyone as they all stood up and formed a perfect straight line. Sora saw that now she had the leashes in her hand and asserted to herself to make the best of things.

Sora didn't overly shout as May did, but gave helpful advice to the performers so they could understand what was wrong and how to improve. She even gave some "suggestions" to May, who had disagreed, naturally.

Sarah, sitting on the side-lines was pleased that things seemed to have worked out great, but more importantly, she observed that Sora had become more acute in her assessments.

**You can't run away this year, Sora.** **You'll have to join the judging this time- no way around it.**

Sora still had a list of things she needed to do, and this was slowly, but surely preparing her. Sarah watched carefully as the Kaleido Star passed by each performer, not simply criticizing but giving useful pointers.

"_Hold your back straight …Loosen your knees as you come down … Feel your entry … Don't look at your feet! … May, stop spinning in your jumps!_

This was something that Sarah had not yet seen in a Star. Because of her experience in acrobatics that sometimes went beyond logic, Sora was in a position to give advice and took her time with every single person.

In the end this whole event had not been to keep everyone in shape, or to have a bit of malicious fun. Instead it was to push Sora forward with more responsibility. And she had taken the task upon herself with grace.** Always a fast learner**, thought Sarah with a pleased smile.

With more events like these, Sarah was sure that the young performers would grow closer, stronger, and more confident with each other when performing under the big-top. This would be an unprecedented type of interaction, and was only made possible through Sora's open and friendly nature.

After about four hours of training, everyone was dismissed but not before being told that they should meet up again like this at least twice next week. Everyone agreed, somewhat excited as if they were back in school.

Whether she realized it or not, Sora had become quite a good tutor. However, it was apparent to the Kaleido Star that she was feeling a new kind of satisfaction when seeing the eager-to-learn eyes of the younger performers as she explained techniques or gave advice.

Now back in her own room Sora felt re-energized after having her first so- called, "class".

**Despite still being rebellious teens, they really want to become good performers and improve themselves- Rebellious teens? Since when did I become adult enough to judge them like that? **

Sora raised an eyebrow, and then visibly relaxed.** Maybe I should cut me some slack. I know very well what they're going through.**

"_Fool, where are you?"_

"_In the bedroom," _the Spirit practically wept. Something was wrong. Sora rushed to him.

"_What's wrong? Did something happen?"_

"_Mhm?" _Fool barely mumbled, wiping the tears from his eyes. _"Oh, nothing is wrong, but this is just so touching."_

"_What is?"_

"_This comic that your friends sent you."_

"_It's called manga, but which one are you reading?"_

"_I don't know how it's called, the title wasn't translated. What does 'Maria-sama Ga Miteru' mean?"_

"_WHAT!?"_

Sora could not believe it. Out of all the manga titles her friends could have sent her, they decided on the one that revolved around girls and their close affections for each other during high school.

"_So what does it mean?"_

"_M-m-maria watches over us."_

"_Ohhh! That's so symbolic- I think I'll start crying again."_

"_What else did they send?"_

"_Well- some about weird fighting robots, another about someone falling for a robot-girl, and two about typical Japanese schools."_

"_You shouldn't be reading about such things; you wouldn't understand what they mean for my culture."_

"_Oh, I understand more than you think."_

"_You really shouldn't read about such weird things."_

"_It's hardly weird, or are we homophobic all of a sudden?_

**This was Manami's idea, I'm sure.** _"No it's not that. I think that someone like you shouldn't get your hands on this."_

"_You told me I couldn't watch TV. But it shouldn't matter because I'm way older than any of you, so I think I can read any literature I very well please."_

"_Fine, but don't get any strange ideas."_

"_Course I won't …" _he paused, but then couldn't help himself, _"Onee-sama."_

"_Why you little!" _Sora shouted as she again grabbed Fool.

The Spirit knew that it meant another survival-trial in the toilet. Desperate to avoid the swirls of horror he began to apologize. _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It was just a joke! There's no real harm in it as far as I understood!"_

"_Oh, coming from you it sure is."_

"_No! Wait! Please I beg you." _Fool could only bet his last breath on one thing. _"You got an important message today."_

"_What?"_

"_On your cell-phone, I saw that letter-thing that shows up when you get a message."_

Sora checked her cell phone with one hand gripped around Fool, but then quickly released him. With her jaw hanging in an unseemly manner, she stammered, _"it … it's from Layla!"_

"_What!?" _squawked Fool equally surprised. He floated to the device in Sora's hand and saw on the display that the sender was indeed Layla.

Nothing happened for quite some time, and Fool didn't understand why. _"Aren't you going to read it?"_

"_Should I?"_

"_What do you mean? It's addressed to you, of course you should read it."_

"_I know, but what if it's a mistake and she sent something very important to the wrong person? I would be intruding on her privacy and that would be unacceptable."_

"_Oh for crying out loud!"_ shouted the Spirit annoyed. With his entire hand, he pressed the top-right button.

"_No wait!" _Sora cried out in horror, but it was too late. Still not wanting to intrude on some potentially sensitive information, she covered her eyes with her free hand.

"_Oh stop being such a baby. It just reads, 'On vacation.'"_

"_Phew!" _the Japanese girl relaxed, and felt her heart warm.

**She took the trouble to let me know that she was on vacation, even though it's just two words. Maybe because last time she left without saying a word. Maybe she wanted to make amends and not worry me. Yeah, she must not want me to worry over her. **

"_How nice," _Sora said sweetly. She was happy that Layla was still keeping in touch with her. The two performers hadn't seen each other for some time, nor had they talked over the phone.

Business kept both girls busy in the last few months, but all it took was just one little message from Layla to make the Kaleido Star happy.


	9. Chapter 9

"_Not another one," _mumbled a very annoyed Layla as she started up the old and dust-covered jeep. Until now she had found little wildlife, so little in fact that she mused about an animal conspiracy to scatter and hide from her every time she got close.

One creature, however, was not in on this secret scheme- the African wild dog. In fact, it went out of its way to make its presence known. Wherever Layla tried to stop for a moment and orientate herself, one of these native canines would come up to her and bark its head off. The dog might think that it had scared the blond off its territory, but in truth she was just irritated by the constant high-pitched yapping.

Finally, stopping some distance away, under the not-much-cooler shade of a tree, Layla took a moment to see where she was heading. She had kept in mind the general direction of where Paddy's Camp was and made an effort to remember visual landmarks so she could get back.

Layla started thinking how angry old Paddy would be when she finally returned- he might even report her to the authorities. When it came right to it- she had stolen a vehicle in a foreign country. To Layla, however starting a criminal record didn't really bother her, moreover she thought it would be an amusing tale to tell when she got back home.

The former Kaleido star would however firstly reveal this to one person and one person only. Layla was starting to imagine how low Sora's jaw would drop when she heard the tale of her prim and proper friend committing a carjacking. **I'm sure you'd visit me in jail Sora or even bail me out if necessary,**Layla joked to herself as she smirked just slightly.

"_Back to the matter at hand,"_ the woman said to herself.

Talking out loud like that was something she was starting to get more used to, it gave her a greater sense of freedom of expression. Years she spent as the silent type and only in moments of great distress would she mumble to herself, but now she talked as if there was someone next to her listening.

In the distance Layla saw what she thought were some gazelles, but the heat- haze made everything hard to see and the sun was much too bright for even her dark shades to filter. Movement confirmed her suspicion- a herd of some kind were gathered around a group of trees a good distance away.

Whilst on the road the jeep handled well and was moderately fast here in this rough and oddly shaped terrain. Her tires slipped at times and rocks were plenty.

Layla now understood why Paddy was as upset about this car as it indeed moved slowly in the terrain. But with the concept of "slow and steady wins the race", the blond slalomed around rocks, dirt and vegetation to the destined trees where she had seen the herd of animals, leaving dust clouds in her wake.

But as she reached the area, all the animals seemed to have vanished completely. Layla was surprised and a bit frustrated at how a group of creatures could have disappeared so quickly. With a sigh, she resumed her earlier idea on the highly unlikely animal conspiracy against her.

However that thought didn't last long as again she heard the annoying bark. Disappointment turned into annoyance once again. Layla now started a new theory that these dogs were intent on following her- to either make her their dinner or to drive her insane.

At the end of her tether at that very moment, she sunk her head in defeat onto the steering-wheel. A loud "BEEP" resounded in the air. Birds flapped away in alarm.

Jolted, and heart-rate going a mile a minute, Layla quickly removed her head from the wheel. After a moment, she turned her head and looked down. Hopefully the new and shrill noise scared off that unwanted canine.

Big black eyes stared straight into Layla's annoyed blue ones. She sighed in defeat- the dog was still present, and apparently unfazed. If it were capable, Layla was sure it would even laugh at her.

Layla decided to try a new tactic. She decided to wait, because surely the animal would become bored with her inactivity in the vehicle. She grew determined to simply sit it out with patience and tire it out.

Strangely, Layla recalled how May used to bark like a dog as well when angered, and fantasized the Chinese girl confronting the dog in a barking match; she would probably chase it away for good measure.

Layla however couldn't bring herself to argue with the creature on its level, and sat for a while listening to the repeating sound of the non-stop canine chorus.

Putting her hands on the steering wheel Layla wondered whether she should drive on, or if she should chase the dog in her jeep. A passing thought of animal cruelty crossed her mind. **But it's being cruel to me!**

A seeming stroke of good fortune occurred as the African dog became suddenly silent. It now sat there almost like its domestic relatives in front of its master. It looked over its shoulder and then turned back to Layla who finally could get some silence. As it sat, Layla could start her safari with this…rather persistent creature. Its coat was a mixture of spots and layers of brown, white, black and a light orange. The ears were quite large even for a dog, but it was still a dog.

The study was however short-lived, as the canine started barking again much to Layla's irritation. As if it had tried to mess with Layla and give her false hopes of silence, it even barked louder than before, replenished by the short break.

Layla's response was to let out her short-lived aggression on the steering wheel she had previously rested her hands on. The result of the frustrated punch caused the glove compartment to open, revealing all kinds of junk. It never occurred to her to look there for anything, because she was already jumping the gun by "borrowing" the jeep.

However she found two magazines there, thankfully both in English. One was a novel entitled "Life in the Savanna" which she put back out of lack of interest, but the other one seemed a kind of magazine similar to National Geographic entitled "Africa revealed".

Starting up the old engine again, Layla moved on out of the range of the wild dog that seemed to enjoy annoying her to no end. Finally after a bit she found a spot where nothing bothered her. A few meters away, she stopped the jeep, and peered for any signs of wildlife. Seeing that she was safe for now, Layla turned off the engine and flipped open the magazine and instantly noticed the sticky-notes throughout the pages.

Upon closer inspection Layla noticed two sets of writing on certain notes. One was an almost scribble-like style whilst the other was in very a calligraphic but elementary style- the kind a second grader would use. Layla pondered a bit on that, and concluded the childish writing probably belonged to Thulani, because those notes contained terms not in English. The magazine probably belonged to Paddy and was used as reference-book for a guide-in-training.

One section of the book was highlighted in bold- it was an article about elephants.

"_Musth" _Layla read aloud, and recalled the old man talking about how the male elephants entered it.

In the book it was described as a state of hormonal arousal in which male elephants become increasingly aggressive. The animals would not eat for this period, and this state of aggression could last for some time. A male during musth could be easily be identified by a secretion on both sides of its head. This slick should be a clear warning sign to all, that the elephant is much more dangerous at this point.

Layla found a sticky note written by Paddy in the margin, _"If you ever run across a bull elephant in musth you're…" _The rest of the note was illegible because it had had been crossed out completely- probably by Thulani. But Layla clearly got the message and made a mental note to avoid it at all costs.

Africa was not just a beautiful getaway Layla reminded herself, but an intense battlefield where only the laws of nature were abided.

Skimming another few pages, Layla found something that interested her and began to read aloud like some school-grade science teacher.

"_Despite its apparent barren landscapes, the plains of Africa, even in the height of summer are teeming with life. One just needs to know where to look for it. There are a few simple things to look out for in order to have encounters with most of the African wildlife._

_First, the vegetation is a dead give-away most of the time. Where there are plants close to each other or progressively getting closer there must be a water source somewhere nearby. Most typically, there will be a waterhole or a river depending where you are. But once you have found such a place your search is over. Now all the animals will come to you- as all life needs water to survive. There are however, only certain times at which certain animals will show up, so one should prepare for a long patient wait. Whether you are an ace wildlife photographer, or a novice explorer, this is where you would want to be._

_However, and you probably guessed it- you won't see much action there besides a fierce drinking contest. In order to get to the predators whilst they do what they do best, you should look out for our second wildlife indicator – the vulture."_

Layla raised an eyebrow, her interest now piqued.

"_This bird mainly scavenges, so whenever you see two or three circling above you, you know something happened or will happen in that direction. Don't feel smart using them as a beacon, as all animals, mostly carnivores- are drawn to them."_

Layla finished and drank some water out of her bottle, feeling the need to moisture her dry mouth. She considered what she read so far and saw that Paddy also underlined this part of the magazine.

With the article in mind Layla looked around at her surroundings, using her hand as a shield to wade off the glare of the sun which was starting to get to her. The trees seemed all similar to her in density so she directed her vision towards the sky, where after some time she spotted a bird flying in circle.

This was the blond's lucky break; she quickly started the jeep and raced towards the destination, hoping not to arrive too late.

The terrain was tricky however and she had to be careful not to accidentally flip the vehicle. A rather large log diverted her off course, and she got a burst of acceleration as she headed down a slope.

Surprised by the sudden speed Layla slammed the brake before stopping in the middle of some sort of depression. Calming herself after this little shock, she looked around and realized where she had driven into –a dry riverbed. This unexpected detour turned into a pleasant surprise to the blond; the riverbed provided a flat surface she could easily drive on.

The vulture which she had spotted earlier was also in the general direction this river once flowed so she could get there with ease. More luck also seemed to be cast upon her as the single circling vulture had been joined by half a dozen in the air.

Something BIG was definitely there and Layla didn't waste time to put the pedal to the metal.

At a bend in the river the former Kaleido Star found herself in a pinch. The river flowed away from her destination so this is where she needed to leave the riverbed, but the dried up river Layla had driven into was a big one, and the slopes here were pretty steep as well.

She tried to drive up the bank, but soon she found her two front wheels now grounded on nothing but air, and the jeep began sliding down. Still she pressed on, but halted as she realized the jeep would tip on its back if she were to go further upward.

"_Not good, not good."_

After but a moment, Layla put the jeep in reverse, which was surprising considering that she had never before driven- let alone gearshift. This blond had more than enough common sense to realize that this was _not_ the way she would get up. But time was of the essence, so she backed up even farther until the she reached the opposite slope. Without a second thought, Layla then jumped it in second gear and accelerated the hell out of the vehicle.

The slope she had tried to conquer previously now became a stunt ramp and Layla found herself air-borne for a few seconds before landing relatively safe onto the ground with a heavy thump…at least three of her wheels did. The fourth wheel was suspended over the edge, but Layla was too close to her goal to give up and strained the jeep even more.

"_Come on!" _she impatiently demanded as she changed between gears to get her fourth wheel onto solid ground. Suddenly she felt all four tires touching the earth, was quick to continue her chase.

As the distance to her destination grew closer, Layla's excitement grew bigger, and new things were picked up by her senses. For one thing, an incredibly strong odor reached her nose; it was quite unpleasant. The smell continued to intensify, and as she approached closer, sounds of life were audible. Some were the vultures up above whilst other were bovine-type sounds, but growls could also be heard.

As a large herd came into view she was presented with her first major wildlife nature scene.

A herd of buffalo were all clumped up standing some distance away, appearing to be wary and alert. Defensive as they appeared, Layla could see why as she instantly recognized the cause for the disturbance- lions.

Fear took a back seat in favor of curiosity as Layla drove slowly closer to the scene, until one of the female lions took notice and let out a low growl at her. Even with the engine running, Layla heard it and took the warning seriously; she quickly reversed some distance until she felt safe again.

Unfortunately she couldn't view the scene too well now, and needed a pair of binoculars. However after a search the blond could not find any; there was nothing in the backseats or in the glove compartment. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to try, she reached underneath her seat. She felt _something_ under there, but didn't even want to speculate what it was.

After a bit more probing, she felt something solid she could grab onto and pulled it out. She held in her hands, a pair of old binoculars that had duct tape in a few places. At least the lenses were in impeccable shape. **At least the old guide knows what's important to observing these animals.**

She checked their focus and quickly (and quietly) stood up on the back seats.

Surprisingly close, Layla could now view the lions a lot more clearly and it positively thrilled her. Although the dead buffalo was far from a pretty sight, Layla knew to respect these predators and to understand their need for survival in this wild place.

Layla drew her attention to the nearby herd of buffalo, and found they were starting to move on as a single unit. So she turned back to the scene of the feast. Layla watched the animals, fascinated at their behavior while tearing apart skin and meat with their huge teeth. Some even fought each other for prime pieces. She could now verify for herself how intimidating lions could be, but she did notice something peculiar.

All the lions present were female. To her it seemed odd why only the lionesses had hunted and a group this big should have a male leader. Opening the magazine she searched for any specific article regarding lions and their society. She quickly found what she was looking for, and read the part to herself. She made sure to keep quiet this time as she didn't want to draw attention and become dessert.

**Lions form prides with one or more leaders controlling them. It can be a single male, or a coalition of two, or a maximum of three males. Usually these males are from the same family, but there have been cases where this did not apply and the number of leaders was even larger.**

**Even though they are normally outnumbered by the females they dominate, they rule through pure strength and intimidation- making them more than a considerable threat. Whilst we look at a lion's mane as a symbol of pride and nobility, for lions it is just a display of virility and power.**

**However, even though they are physically stronger than the females, they almost never hunt. That mane that is used to impress is their biggest handicap and it makes them easy to spot by any of the potential prey. As a consequence, the males almost never hunt for themselves and would rather gorge on the work of the lionesses, or if they do not have a pride- scavenge from other animals they can overpower. **

As if to confirm what she was currently reading she heard a powerful roar. Startled, Layla quickly turned to the source of the startling sound. A huge blur of dark gold was running towards the kill. The darker mane was indeed distinctive and as the huge animal stopped by the dead buffalo, all the females backed down away from it. The male lion sniffed the kill a bit, and approved by roaring even more loudly.

Layla felt herself shaken by the sound. Although impressed by their strength, the blond didn't really consider them such noble creatures as she once did as they preyed upon and used the weaker animals.

However the females didn't seem to mind, and after the male had his fill, they ate to their heart's content before moving away to rest with the male in the shade of some high rock formations.

This pause in action also made Layla pause her observations to continue reading the article.

**Despite looking like spoiled kings, male lions still have the huge task of having to defend the pride from other males and predators. Such a reign doesn't last very long in most cases. If it however, wasn't for the protection of the cubs the lionesses would not need the male lion in their groups.**

Layla took another look to see if any of the females had offspring with them, but either they were hidden or had been left safe in some other place.

She took another few minutes to observe the napping animals before moving on. After reading that lions sleep most of the day especially after they have eaten, she decided that this is as good as it was going to be.

Seeing the pride of lions up close was all very exciting, and probably more than most expect to see, but it somehow wasn't enough. Layla was ready for the next wild adventure, which now left her in a dilemma.

"_Which way should I go?"_ she asked aloud to herself. Suddenly she remembered the direction the herd of buffalo headed off in. Driving in a wide arc around the sleeping pride she again had to deal with the bumps and rocks of the terrain; there would be no shortcut this time.

As she drove to what seemed to be in the direction the sun was going to set, she stopped for a bit as her skin started to burn. The African sun was much more potent than the Californian one she had to admit. She already reprimanded herself on not bringing any sunscreen a long time ago, so now she just had to keep herself hydrated. She had another bottle and a half of water which would probably last her for the rest of the day, but she definitely had to retrace her steps back to the camp before the day was over.

Layla slowed down as she entered a new plain of the savanna, this one much larger than the other ones. Trees were even scarcer here. The grass here seemed to be a bit higher, or maybe it was the absence of trees that made it seem so. Close by, were the same herd of buffalo. Apparently these animals were in no rush to get to their destination, which Layla assumed was a waterhole.

Naively, Layla presumed they would walk in a straight line so she drove far ahead of them. In the guide she read that sometimes animals will get much closer to the observer if they have seen it for a while. A tree in the distance seemed to be the only dispenser of shade in the immediate area so she drove towards it.

But out of nowhere, Layla began to hear some kind of disturbance. It sounded like running. Just as she turned to the side, a herd of gazelle raced close to the jeep, and barely avoided colliding with the vehicle. After a few short moments, they stopped running, their heads held high and their eyes alert. Their ears swept the whole area for something unseen.

Layla turned her engine off again to not to disturb the animals. Unlike these grazers, she was much more secure against predators in her jeep. But what had caused this commotion was not yet clear and how quickly the herd appeared was a surprise to her. They ran incredibly fast, but now they were all standing still.

Layla took a moment to observe them carefully. The most outstanding features were the arched back horns and the black stripe on either side of the slender yet strong body. It took a while for the herd to calm down, but eventually they did. To her surprise and amazement some of the animals started prancing around and jumping to impressive heights.

Even with this apparent relief, Layla could sense there was still tension in the air. A quick look at the trusty magazine answered her question.

According to a short tidbit in a corner, she learned that gazelles jump to great heights in order to portray their fitness. **Any hunter would thus know that such a healthy animal would take far too much effort to catch and take down. This behavior is specifically directed at cheetahs, which are the greatest threats to these gazelle- called Thompson's Gazelles, or nicknamed Tommie's.**

Layla looked up again at the gazelle. All the animals here were bred to perfection through hundreds of years of evolution and that alone impressed Layla. However, she did not envy these creatures that were pressed by necessity and not their own desire to such extremes.

To rear of the jeep, a very faint, short rustle was heard. The blond turned and saw the higher grass bend out of the way, something was definitely behind her. The need to identify the source of the sound was most important, and risking her safety, Layla climbed atop the driver's seat.

However, Layla was not ready to see such a huge feline coming around the back corner of her jeep, let alone brush so close to the vehicle. The only thing that Layla could do was remain still. She remembered that all felines abide by one rule: if it moves it's alive, if it's alive- it can be eaten. **I'm alive. I can be eaten! **

Just as the former Kaleido Star devised a plan to foolishly defend herself, the slender feline walked right past her. At a better angle, Layla identified the spotted creature: a full grown and beautiful cheetah- a cheetah that was in the midst of food. Something was going to happen.

Still shaken as the animal had snuck so effortlessly behind and past her, Layla let out a deep breath. She wondered, while rubbing her arms, how in this dazzling heat she was able to experience cold sweat. The close contact was a little too close for her liking.

As the cheetah moved farther from her, the blond wondered why the animal had walked so close to the vehicle when there was so much expanse of land. She deduced that since they were out in the open, the jeep made for good cover in this cheetah's stalking of the herd of gazelles. The gazelles, Layla noticed were still on high alert.

The odds seemed staggered against the feline as there were more than a dozen pairs of eyes doing nothing but looking out for such threats. However Layla also knew the reputation that preceded the cheetah as the fastest land living animal, and wondered why it just didn't dash after its prey.

As the cheetah came crept closer to the unsuspecting gazelles, the grass was getting progressively thinner and shorter. The grazers knew how to use the terrain to their protection.

However, the hunting cat was skilled in the art of patience. It would only start to crawl towards them when the watchful sentries would either look in another direction or lower their head to nibble off the grass.

Layla looked at the feline, its tail twitched slightly in anticipation and Layla was starting to feel it as well. Nature was offering Layla quite a spectacle. And not wanting to miss it, she dared not move, let alone blink. She knew that a fast paced chase was close at hand and kept her eyes glued to the scene.

A kill was indeed at hand, and craving for the loss of life was not a thing to be desired, Layla knew, but put into this context- she was eager to see the cheetah live up to its reputation.

Judging by the direction of the predator's head and crawling path, the blond unconsciously started to narrow down the possible victims. The prancing Tommie's were not even considered as possible prey as they would offer too great of a chase. No, it would be one of two fauns eating grass.

Each cautious step now became much more careful, the smallest increment would make the chase easier. Layla, for her part did not fully understand the challenge even such a small animal could pose, but the cheetah surly must know better.

It seemed to have reached its optimal distance, and now stood very still, crouched impossibly low to the ground. But rather than dash off, it decided to remain stationary for another few moments, possibly waiting to see if the unsuspecting animal would come closer.

Layla, still perched atop the seat, daring not to breath, began anticipating the best chance to catch the prey. The faun lowered its head. **Now!** No sooner had she thought that, the cheetah sprung from its hidden position and was off!

A dash so fast Layla didn't even get the chance to blink or even begin to think. The speed was phenomenal, and the unlucky fawn had to turn itself around and start its race for survival.

The dust that was created by the cheetah's claws ripping the ground was blowing towards Layla. As irritating as it was, the blond could still not get herself to remove her eyes from the chase.

Instead of a straight course, the chase was starting to turn into a slalom with tight and unexpected turns. This was the fawn's trump card, it could turn in a much smaller arc and it decided where and when to turn.

In the meantime, the rest of the herd moved away from the action. Birds in the trees and air broadcast the message further to other animals. The feline didn't even take notice of the racket; total concentration was on the prey as it was nearly in its grasp. Almost touching the faun's hind legs, the cheetah gambled and stretched out a paw in its stride in attempt to trip the young gazelle, but the timing was slightly off. The fawn jumped at the right moment and took a sharp turn.

With this quick maneuver, the gap between hunter and hunted increased, but the cheetah was quick to catch up. Running for its very life the young Tommie utilized all the techniques it was born with, and did quick zigzag maneuvers, even faking turns to further throw off its persistent pursuer.

Watching all of this, Layla felt the excitement, the exhilaration of the chase and had lost all sense of time. In reality, less than a minute had passed, but to her it felt a lot longer and she wondered just how much longer it would last.

Unexpectedly, the cheetah slowed down as it missed yet another turn of the crafty young gazelle. The loss was sealed; it didn't even bother chasing the fawn any further. Today, the gazelle won, and was rewarded the gift of life for a while longer. The feline on the other hand, would participate in other chases. It headed off in the direction of some nearby shade to recuperate.

It took a while for Layla to finally look away and blink moisture back into her dry eyes. Even though the former Kaleido Star felt slightly disappointed, that chase was something she would remember for the rest of her life.

Layla, calming down herself, compared the Cheetah to a drag-racer. Both were undoubtedly fast, but only for a short period of time, and if they tried to prolong their maximum output their "engines" would fail.

It seemed a bit unfair to leave such a great performance un-rewarded. But then again, Layla had underestimated the gazelle's speed and ability to out maneuver the predator.

To think that such spectacles happened many times every day was an amazing notion, and Layla was very impressed with both the winner and loser.

Like the resting cheetah, Layla needed a break and took some time consulting with the neglected magazine. Surprisingly, she found an extract stating that cheetahs actually run the risk of overheating. In fact, many of their hunts failed and those that succeeded could be exploited by larger predators such as lions or even hyenas.

In Layla's eyes, the cheetah was faced with such harsh competition, so she proclaimed it the underdog of the savanna.

However the polite respects she paid to the animal were instantly interrupted as the animal she was just thinking about- which was not far away in the shade anymore –was in fact walking towards the jeep. Layla just sat there, frozen in the driver's seat.

What the feline wanted was not yet clear, but it kept coming closer. With each approaching step, the blonde's heart rate increased and fear was starting to surface. Trying to keep her cool, Layla kept the tactic of remaining absolutely still and at the same time, thinking of something she could use to distract the animal with.

Without any noise or warning, the cheetah closed the final distance and leapt onto the hood of the jeep.

Layla's only response was a short, startled "Eep!" which the feline picked up. It looked over to the human and its eyes met sky-blue orbs which it then looked into.

On the other side of that stare, Layla was feeling a bit relieved as the look the animal gave her was just one of curiosity. The feline eyes she gazed into were breathtaking. Such an intense shade of red and brown could only be described as a brilliant amber color. They seemed strangely friendly, but more uncaring.

Having looked enough at Layla it turned its attention out into the open savanna. The former Kaleido star guessed that this wild animal was used to the presence of humans due to the various tours that covered this region. Thankfully, it seemed that humans were not on the menu today.

By the way the cheetah's gaze was sweeping the landscape, Layla now understood the meaning behind this encounter. The jeep simply provided a vantage point for the cheetah to look for other prey. After a few moments the cheetah stilled, and shortly after, leapt down from the hood and headed off far into the distance. Just as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

"_Woah"_ exhaled Layla. The up close and personal look she got of the animal, the particular scent it gave off, the distinctive black marks running from its eyes as if they were past tears, were all features etched into her memory. But most important were those captivating eyes which betrayed a finely aged and experience soul.

Layla didn't get a chance to determine its gender, but after this encounter she dubbed this animal **Amber.**

This was the type of encounter every tourist wished for, and Layla knew just how lucky she was. Once back home she would tell people about these amazing encounters. Some, she suspected would not take her seriously, but one person she knew would believe her word for word. Thinking about that one special person Layla resumed her journey.

From the rear view mirror, a small dust cloud had risen a short distance away. It appeared that the buffalo had finally caught up to her and were still on their direct route. Knowing she was not part of this convoy she drove ahead again, remembering that her original objective was to reach the supposed waterhole. Still the unexpected encounter with the cheetah was a more than enough reason for her delay.

Her journey thus continued but came to a stop much faster than she had anticipated. The waterhole the buffalos were headed to was only a couple of hundred meters away, but because of the heat haze you could not have seen it from a distance.

Layla didn't drive too close to it; her jeep might have rolled down and sunk into the water, scattering the peaceful animals.

In close proximity, Layla spotted a group of three trees and determined them to be a good point to observe the incoming animals. Parking the car between two of the trees until it bumped into the third. She hoped that like this, the animals would consider her a boulder jammed between some trees and just part the natural background. If it didn't work she would at least have a very well-shaded place to sit and wait for the slowly approaching buffalo.

Unlike the earlier events, this setting was far more peaceful and relaxed, a nice change from the feeding frenzy and the fast paced chase she had witnessed. However the animals that came to this place to quench their thirst weren't really new to her. The buffalos she had been observing for some time and the gazelle that were here before her were probably from the herd that was attacked by the Cheetah.

Even so, Layla looked on with interest. For the first time since observing the grazers, she noticed the small birds resting on them, especially on the buffalo. The big bovines seemed very comfortable with the small passengers as they would groom their hides and catch any insect that was attracted by the strong odor. Layla smiled at the thought of these feathered companions being kept around for maintenance- a convenient relationship of mutual benefit.

Overall, she was presented with a nice scene, and her decision to stay amongst the trees worked out as she could very easily see the animals. The strong odor she still couldn't get fully used to, but it became easier to tolerate over time.

However such a peaceful scene seemed to Layla as if she was wasting time. Up until now, she had been confronted with intense action no documentary could ever hope to achieve, and consequently she was not used to this lull in action, though she knew that she had been riding on her luck the whole time.

Like a child robbed of her fun, Layla became bored. One good thing about being out here, was that no one could tell her that she was behaving inadequately and she didn't run the risk of being caught acting this way. Before she even realized it, Layla started humming some silly refrain while tapping on the steering wheel before she abruptly stopped.

"_Wait, what am I doing?"_

This was certainly not the professional character she had built up and perfected so many years ago. She composed and seated herself in the dirty chair in a more refined manner, hoping to regain her seriousness.

Only to then chuckle as she realized how silly she looked in the front seat of an old beat-up vehicle, acting like she was sitting in a five star restaurant about to order champagne. Not knowing which posture to take, Layla struggled to understand her behavior but something else quickly put that thought on hold.

It was not hard to overlook, the massive body with equally large ears made them visible enough to see from a distance. However, they had been so silent in their approach, that they were already about 30 meters to her right- much to Layla's shock.

And even more unfortunately, the elephants did not think her jeep was a boulder, and immediately took notice of strange vehicle.

Escape would not be easy as the trees she had surrounded herself with, would make backing out very difficult. Slowly, she extended her hand to the key in the ignition, but even her slow movements were detected by the pachyderms who then signaled to their companions that she had been spotted.

How surprisingly similar the blast sounded to a trumpet call Layla thought for a moment before fear returned to her in full force.

She saw the biggest elephant taking point and standing her off, the ears flapping to their full extent, to increase the animal's already more than considerable size. It then took one step forward, testing its ground whilst Layla was about to turn the ignition key. At the last second, she halted her action, thinking that the sudden noise would provoke the elephants to charge. She had no choice but to sit it out and hope for the best.

The elephant took another step forward shaking its head, flapping its enormous ears trying to appear as intimidating as it could to Layla. The blond however did not need further proof of its colossal stature and might, and was reconsidering an attempt to escape in her vehicle.

But before she could execute her plan, the animal charged. Bracing for impact, Layla was sure she had seen the animal run towards her, but when she looked to see what had happened in that fraction of a second- the elephant was still in the same position.

The mock charge to which Layla had only given a response of a startle seemed to assure the pachyderm that this creature behind the tree was not a threat. The blond on the other hand, had been scared quite severely for the second time today. But unlike the cheetah, she would not have had the slightest chance of fighting back.

Now the elephants didn't seem to care about Layla and moved on to the waterhole. The elephant that had mock-charged Layla, moved along with its companions, but kept a careful eye on her in case.

Not for the first time that day, the former Kaleido Star felt her heart beat uncontrollably in her chest. She let out a huge breath she didn't even know she was holding. Knowing what could have happened, she smiled to herself thanking fate that it didn't end there.

It always seemed absurd how people escaping tense situations would laugh at their life and death experience, but Layla now understood that the adrenaline and consequent exhilaration provoked the euphoria. Shortly put, if one was happy to be alive, they _would_ smile.

Using their trunks to take up water, the elephants had obviously been thirsty for some time, which reminded Layla that she was thirsty as well. After a long drink, Layla spotted just why the giant animals were so defensive.

Amongst the towering legs there was one small baby elephant, so vulnerable yet so safe amongst its kind. Unlike its elders the little one drank the water directly with its mouth, which it could with its small stature. Layla wondered if the tiny pachyderm knew what its trunk was actually for, as it seemed to move it in an uncoordinated fashion. At least it was small enough to fully bathe in the water unlike the others of the herd.

Again suffering the curse of boredom, Layla began to consider joining the elephants for a dip in the waterhole, or to try and hop on the back of one of them ala Tarzan.

**Maybe all this nature is getting to me.**

Suddenly the little elephant ran up the slope and wedged itself between the larger animals. The rest of the herd started to flap their ears and began show signs of agitation. Then they actually took point to defend themselves.

Confused by what was happening, Layla reached to the magazine for an explanation.

Just as she was about to read an entry about elephants, a loud trumpeting resounded throughout the land. Layla dropped the book, only to look up and see that all the animals were staring right back at her.

But that didn't make any sense; the pachyderms had endured her presence for some time now as had the other herbivores. Suspecting something worse she turned around to see the real cause of the disturbance.

A huge elephant, much larger than the one she had encountered before had come up behind her car without her noticing. The other elephants must have sensed it far sooner than she had.

Layla didn't need a guidebook to know that this elephant was the real danger.

As it drew closer to the jeep, it spotted Layla and took a dominant stance towards her. Just then the wind blew and a very peculiar scent wafted up to Layla's nostrils. She then noticed, much to her horror- moisture of sorts dripping off the sides of the elephant's massive head.

A shiver much more profound ran down Layla's spine. Fear was telling her to run, but her instincts stopped her, there was no chance to escape this animal. This was a test of nerve and Layla knew it, but somehow her instincts were telling her this was far more dangerous than that.

Instinct fighting fear and the urge to flee, Layla kept outwardly calm even as the animal stomped its feet and began to run towards her.

Fear won out, but Layla could only sit and stare as the massive creature charged the jeep. Layla was jerked along with the jeep as it rattled upon impact. Objects flew everywhere.

It all was so fast, but to Layla it all seemed so slow, and time seemed to have stopped.

Fully aware of what was happening and taken over by fear and adrenaline, Layla tried to jump out of the vehicle when it started to leave the ground, but she felt her legs being caught.

Instead, she was being flung around just like the jeep, her body no longer under her own control, flying like a rag-doll. All that Layla saw at the moment was drilled into her memory.

Everything that was happening to Layla was terrifyingly clear: the sheer force of each impact, the putrid odor, the sounds of the animals, the lush green of the trees, the magazine that was now airborne, its pages flipping in the wind, the glint of the cracked windshield in the sun, and finally the look of pure rage in the elephant's eyes.

The last thing she saw, was the relentless animal charging the dented jeep again, and then nothing as her vision tilted up until it met with the glare of the sun which made everything fade into a blinding white.

* * *

It's been a while and I am sorry, but I hope people will enjoy this chapter. 

Big thanks go to **Falling Awake** for proofreading this and many other chapters.

After this the two storylines will start to merge a bit more as the plot now starts. Oh and cliffhanger, I'm sooo mean. :P

So for all reading this I hope you are not to mad at me for taking so long.

But as you all know: **_Read & Enjoy & Review._**


	10. Chapter 10

"_Paddy!" _

No response.

"_Paddy!" _Thulani pleaded again while the old guide was still looking out into the wilderness. The sun set a few hours ago, and only the moon and the sparse lights of the buildings shown in the darkness.

"_Where are you, kid?" _Paddy mumbled to himself, having forgotten all the anger of having his jeep stolen; now he was just plain worried.

At first he thought that the blond woman had been an impostor and nothing more than a thief, but Wesley confirmed that she was indeed the real Layla Hamilton, and what little scrap of memory he had left from news about the _"Golden Phoenix"_ also validated her identity.

Although the star's actions were her own foolishness, he felt that it had been his fault for not being able to provide her with the tour she needed.

What annoyed him more than anything however, was the fact that he was practically helpless. The only way to solve this situation was to call in someone else for help, and he didn't like that at all.

"_Paddy!" _Thulani yelled at his superior again.

"_Just another minute!" _

"_Another minute!? Don't you think we've waited long enough!?"_

**C'mon, kid where are you? **Paddy thought. Deep down, he wanted the feisty blond to appear out of the nearest bush or see the bright headlights of the jeep to shine. He knew Layla was the kind of person you'd expect to make a dramatic and dynamic comeback, but this time it just didn't feel right; her excursion had taken much too long. He got up from the old log he was sitting on, and rubbed his eyes, the fatigue catching up to him.

"_Paddy?" _the apprentice repeated for who knows how many times tonight.

"_Make the call,"_he said, briefly looking over his shoulder to his young coworker, and then looking back out into the open wilderness. Something was definitely wrong.

A few hours later, a well-groomed well-dressed Richard Hamilton was heading to his office after a rather pleasant lunch with some potential business-partners. He felt in a better mood than usual because of the high executives he had lunch with. They were truly enjoyable people to talk to. He considered opening relations with that company seeing how well they chose their representatives.

He could tell that at least they could be trusted, more than he could say about some of his own employees. Trust was a word he was learning to not throw around lightly.

Since his daughter was a well-known celebrity whose fame failed to recede even after a full year off Kaleido Stage, he too was now in the public eye. Layla, he had to admit, for some time had brought him many new contacts and customers through her fame, but that also made him dependent on his and her public images.

Thankfully Layla wasn't some half-witted spoiled brat who would cause scandals like some rival's daughter he knew. It was more important than ever to keep the public image of the Hamilton's name in a good light.

Just as he was entering his office, his assistant who had been talking the whole time covered the phone to greet him.

"_Welcome back Mr. Hamilton. How was your lunch meeting?"_

"_It was fine. I'll be having lunch there tomorrow as well so please arrange it."_

"_It'll be my pleasure,"_ she said, glad her boss enjoyed his meal as any mistake could mean her getting fired.

But while she was a bit relieved, the irritating voice she had been talking to this whole time was still going on and on.

Since it was relatively silent in the lobby, Mr. Hamilton noticed this one-sided conversation. He could clearly tell that the person on the line was upset. He barely caught something about a long-distance phone call.

"_Is there a problem?"_ he asked, seeing his assistant clearly distressed.

"_I hoped not to bother you with this, but someone has been calling you for the last hour wanting to speak with you- A Mr. Wesley Patrick claiming to be calling from Africa with urgent news for you."_

"_Did he say what news?"_

"_No. He said this only concerns you. Should I hang up?"_

"_No, I'll take the call in my office."_

"_I'm very sorry for troubling you Mr. Hamilton."_

Mr. Hamilton wanted to give her some words of appreciation for doing a good job due to the fact that she was new, but he refrained. Since she was a relatively new hire, she couldn't be trusted yet. So he simply nodded and entered his office. He put his things down on the desk and took a seat before picking up the phone.

Mr. Hamilton barely said_, "Richard Hamilton" _before the voice on the line started up again. Just to amuse himself, he let the guy finish what he had to say. However by the end of the explanation, Richard was no longer amused.

"_Excuse me? Do you take me for a fool?" _Mr. Hamilton could not, would not believe what he was hearing.

"_Ok, let me get this straight. My daughter came to your village, and now she has gone missing? Look, if this is some kind of prank call …"_

"_It isn't! Please listen, we're wasting time!"_ Wesley argued, completely frustrated that even when he was talking to Layla's father, he was getting nowhere. He seemed to be as stubborn as she was.

"_And I'll believe that because …"_

"_Sir, with all due respect this isn't the time for such things."_

"_Sure it isn't."_ Mr. Hamilton said with a hint of sarcasm. "_Don't you think someone in my position has to deal with these sorts of things from time to time?" _he replied laying back in his comfortable executive chair. In truth the only "sort" of calls he received was that one time from Sora, but he liked a good challenge.

"_Sir, who in their right mind would be trying to call you for the past hour if this wasn't true?" _Wesley tried to reason.

"_What am I supposed to take as confirmation? This phone call? Your word?"_

"_Sir, I beg you to listen."_

"_Goodbye, Mr. Patrick."_

"_No wait!"_

Mr. Hamilton hung up very satisfied to have dealt with such a persistent annoyance and resumed going through some new files.

However, what the man said did linger in his mind, causing the usually composed Richard Hamilton to become uneasy. To reassure himself he took out his cell phone and dialed Layla's cell phone. He wouldn't admit the reason for the call; he told himself it would just be a courtesy call.

But as the ringing kept repeating itself, the feeling of uneasiness began to grow.

Finally the phone picked up, but a totally different voice answered.

" … _the answer button?"_

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

"_Uhm …"_ The female voice on the other side spoke wearily, _"this is Cathy Taymor, who is this?"_

"_Cathy? This is Richard Hamilton. Can I speak with Layla please?"_

"_Mr. Hamilton. At this moment, no. She's in Africa." _

"_I know that. Wait, you aren't with her? Why are you answering her phone then?"_

"_Well, that's a pretty funny story." _Cathy giggled.

"_I decided this whole trip for her and I snuck her phone in her luggage when she wasn't looking, because she was surely going to leave it behind like the last time. But she must have found it somewhere along the way, because this morning I received a package. It was her phone with a note saying 'Nice try'." _Cathy laughed again_. "I shouldn't have been surprised."_

"_So you don't know where she is?"_

"_Still on her trip I'm sure. After all the effort she went to cut herself off from the rest of the world, I'm like 99 sure she's still on that continent."_

"_That's … great."_ Richard said with a stale voice which Cathy picked up easily.

"_Is something wrong?"_

"_No, it's nothing, I just wanted to talk to Layla, but she's not around, it's all right,"_ Mr. Hamilton said trying to play it down. Unfortunately for him, he was on the line with a very brilliant director who didn't buy any of it.

"_Well when she does get back" _Mr. Hamilton began, but stopped as his assistant rushed into the room, a piece of paper held out to him_. "- tell her that her father"_ he stopped again as his eyes widened at the sight of a very familiar signature.

"_Hello? Mr. Hamilton? Are you still there?"_

He quickly hung up not saying another word.

"_What is this?"_he demanded as he snatched the paper out of his trembling assistant's hand.

Scared by the glare of her now upset boss, the assistant quickly answered. _"This just came by fax. I thought you should see this straight away. It looks just like your-"_

"_It is."_ He replied harshly.

He looked down at what appeared to be a printout of a dated piece of newspaper. On top of the foreign print, was Layla's crisp and confident signature that she used when signing autographs.

However, what caused the fear to grow was not the signature, but the two sentences beneath it. Someone had written very hastily, "This is not a joke. Your daughter is missing."

The phrase echoed in Mr. Hamilton's mind as the possibility of the truth began to gather like a storm. The fax itself left an identification mark with a number and the name of an organization named "Africa Aid".

"_Go and verify this," _Mr. Hamilton said. He didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet.

"_Sir?" _

"_Now!"_ he almost yelled_. "Check the number on this fax,"_ he all but demanded, handing the paper back to her.

The assistant quickly left the room to fulfill the order leaving Mr. Hamilton to only rub the bridge of his nose in frustration, a gesture both father and daughter shared in common.

**What have you gone and done this time? **he asked himself. Layla was always such a good child and very obedient even as a teenager. But as she grew older, she started to cause more and more trouble, even rebelling against him when she was at that circus.

There was a knock on the door, effectively taking Mr. Hamilton out of the past and placing him back to the present situation. The assistant opened the door to his office to report.

"_It's real, sir. The number also matches one of the locations under the coverage of Africa Aid_."

"_Where exactly?"_

"_Somewhere in South Africa."_

"_What!?"_ he again raised his voice which caused the already frightened assistant to hide a bit behind the door_. "I thought I booked everything near Cairo,"_ he mumbled to himself. _"Find out everything about Wesley Patrick and his role in Africa Aid."_

"_Yes sir."_

"_Before you go, I hope you understand the degree of – privacy- of this matter."_

"_Y-yes sir."_she replied before practically scurrying out the door.

After a few minutes of nerve wracking waiting, the intercom on Mr. Hamilton's desk finally beeped.

"_What did you find?"_

"_The organization__**does**__ exist. I called their representative in England and asked about this Patrick Wesley. The representative said that Mr. Patrick is her husband and gave me a phone number in order to contact him."_

"_You didn't say anything more, did you?"_

"_No sir. Shall I direct your call?"_

"_Yes."_

Mr. Hamilton picked up the receiver and leaned further into his chair, which didn't seem so comfortable anymore. As redirection of the long distance call finished, the same voice he had found so irritating before answered.

"_It seems that I am inclined to believe you_," he said trying to hide some of his earlier pride, but Wesley heard through the façade and heard the voice of a concerned man.

"_I see where your daughter draws her stubborn attitude."_

"_So, what do you propose I should do?"_

"_**We **__need to act quickly and organized."_

"_Can't I just pay you or someone else to find her?"_

"_Not everything can be bought Mr. Hamilton."_

"_Explain."_

"_I didn't call you because I need your money to organize a search. It's just that no one will willingly accept to start such a big search party. The terrain is so vast to cover that no one in their right mind, or given enough money will attempt the search. Those who will, will just rob you blind especially because you aren't here."_

"_What do you suggest, then?"_ Obviously, this Wesley Patrick fellow already had an idea.

"_What we need are people we can fully trust. I think I can barter for vehicles, but very little of the locals will be persuaded to join the search."_

"_Why, for heavens sake?" _

"_To them, Layla can only return by herself, until then she is dead to them."_

"_Please, spare me your folklore. Can't you just tell them what is at stake?"_

"_Things aren't so simple here as you might think."_

"_How inconvenient." _Mr. Hamilton replied.

"_This isn't the time for inappropriate sarcasm. I wouldn't have gone out of my way to call you if there was any other way. I can start a rouse in the media to get help if you want."_

"_I'm listening."_ The last thing the Hamiltons needed was to have word leaked to the public.

"_As I said, what I lack are people willing to give their all in this search, who will work to their best of their abilities until we find her."_

"_What about your organization?"_

"_I wouldn't put my faith in them; they just bring medicine and try to give people basic education. No organization can spare enough people for an effective search. Time is of the essence._

"_How many people do you need?"_

"_At least twenty. With me and maybe some others who I can trust, we will be numerous enough, but they need to be organized right off the bat. I have my boys under control, but the people you send have to be more than ready for the task at hand."_

"_I see."_

"_Please tell me that someone in your position has the necessary contacts. I don't want to have wasted my time when I could have been searching for her all this time."_

"_I…" _Richard was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer. Then suddenly an idea had come to mind that spawned a flicker of hope_. "… I think I do. When will the search start?"_

"_In a few hours with what little people I have here. I know you can't get people over here so fast, it takes more than fifteen hours of travel time to get to South Africa and then until we are reached, another few hours. But don't worry, we will cover as much ground as we can, but the people you are sending have to fully prepare once they arrive."_

"_I will see what I can do."_

"_Very good, I will announce that more people will be arriving in about twenty hours, twenty-four hours tops."_

"_All right, I will make sure I will send all the people I can find."_

"_I'm counting on you; your daughter is also counting on you."_

"_Thank you for coming to me with this first," _Mr. Hamilton said truly thanking the man.

"_Of course, I'm a big fan of Layla afterall," _Wesleysaid, relieved to finally have rallied support.

"_Goodbye then."_

"_Good night to you too, Mr. Hamilton. And I know things might look bad, but we will find your daughter for sure."_

Before proceeding, he thought that Wesley wished him a good night, but it was clearly daytime outside. In South Africa, he quickly realized it wasn't. The fact that he didn't think of it earlier, caused him to chuckle. In such a desperate situation it was surprising that his mood seemed to have mellowed, but in reality, he was just trying not to fall into despair. For Layla's sake he had to remain positive and would not even begin to think about the worse case scenario.

"_Uhm, would you like some coffee sir?"_ the assistant asked from behind the half opened door.

"_Thank you, Julia. Just leave the tray on the table."_

"_Yes sir,"_ she said slightly blushing at having been called by her first name for the first time since she started not too long ago.

"_Is there anything else I could do for you?" _

"_Yes, cancel all my meetings for today and take the rest of the day off."_

"_Sir?"_ she asked unsure if that didn't mean she was actually fired.

"_You've been working hard. Take a break, and don't push yourself too hard. I need to depend on you at all times, just like now."_

That kind of compliment was so unexpected, that all Julia could do was confusedly bow and head out.

Richard chuckled softly. Being friendly like that was something he hadn't done in a while, and wouldn't until his daughter was safe and sound.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip of the steaming dark liquid before taking a deep breath as he prepared for this first course of action, which was to call the only man he could ever trust with his daughter and the only one who could save him in this situation.

As he dialed Kalos' number, he recalled that the last time they had spoken had been on unfriendly business terms. It was then that Mr. Hamilton retracted his sponsorship of the Kaleido Stage. When Layla got word of it, she was livid, but he remained firm within his decision.

Hopefully, Kalos as a human being with feelings would hear him out. He hated to ask for help, but right now he was even prepared to beg.

Miles away from the gloom and seriousness of Richard Hamilton's office, an unsuspecting Kalos and Sarah were quite relaxed, enjoying an afternoon cup of tea.

Sarah had just started this routine today, and she hoped it would become a daily ritual, one that might help to ease a bit of her partner's tension and sometimes downright cold nature.

"_Wait! Wait! Not yet_!" Sarah practically shrieked.

"_Why not?"_

"_I always invite people for a cup of tea, yet for all the years we've known each other, not once did I drink a cup of tea with you." _

"_So?"_ Kalos replied not comprehending the importance of this inaugural event.

"_Don't even pretend you don't understand how important this is to me_." Sarah clearly saw through his attempt at picking on her. She really didn't mind. In fact she was rather glad because she knew Kalos was relaxed and content for a change. Still, right now was very important and she wouldn't let the subject drop.

"_I swear, you women and your first times."_

"_Ahhh! You old perverted man! How could you say such a thing?"_ Sarah squealed surprised, but mostly amused at Kalos' odd comment.

Embarrassed by what he just let slip, the boss didn't feel so high and mighty all of a sudden and only mumbled something, in reply.

"_I like you like this."_

"_Well then …errr …Cheers?"_ proposed Kalos, a hint of red on his dark cheeks.

"Cheers! Ahhh! Pinky, extend the pinky!"

Kalos just rolled his eyes this time, not wanting to give away too much in this childish banter. The tea was surprisingly delicious.

"_Not bad_." Kalos complimented in his usual way.

"_Isn't it so much better than your two cups of coffee?"_ Sarah responded happy to finally be able to kick it back and relax at work with the man she loved.

"_So … did you plan anything else that I don't know about?"_

"_You smooth talker, you. Are you suggesting something naughty?"_ she blushed.

Kalos' eyes widened, surprised to have unknowingly provoked a blush he hadn't seen in a while. _"Does everything I say have that kind of connotation today?"_

"_You know, it's not appropriate for employees to have relationships with their bosses"_ Sarah said, playing the game.

"_Then consider yourself fired_," Kalos tried said trying to gain the upper-hand.

"_Oh, so does that make me the woman-of-the-house?"_ Sarah answered countering his boss-attitude with her I'm-the-actual-boss-attitude.

Kalos threw in the towel without even answering. They both knew who the real boss was around here.

Sarah was now very pleased with herself and with her tea in hand, she gazed at Kalos with a soft smile. After how long she tried to soften him up for his own good, she wanted to tell him how much these rare moments truly meant to her, but simply telling him would spoil the victory. Instead she conceded with a loving smile.

Kalos caught her sweet gaze, which caused him to automatically crack an even rarer loving smile himself, awkward and uncomfortable it may have looked.

Outside the office, footsteps and a pair of voices could be heard, and for the first time in a long time, Kalos sighed in displeasure at the prospect of incoming work- something at other times he was very eager to take up. But looking over at his satin blond beauty, he wondered if he couldn't just remain in this pleasant atmosphere forever.

Tea-time would definitely be given "do not disturb" status starting from now on.

"_I was really surprised to see the newspaper article,"_ a smooth male voice echoed in the hall just a ways from the office doorway.

"_So you're not upset_?" questioned a female voice.

"_I don't see any reason to be. Building team spirit and making publicity isn't at all bad."_

"_Well, it was their idea."_

"_As I've heard it, you kept things pretty much under control."_

"_Oh. May, Rosetta and the others did most of the work."_

"_Your modesty is boundless_," the man laughed softly.

"_Errr_… "

"_You know, you really need to give yourself more credit and inspire more self-confidence off stage just as much on stage."_

Sora couldn't deny that, "_I'll try harder next time."_

And with that, Yuri Killian opened the door for Sora to enter and followed in behind her. Looking over to his mentor and partner in business, Yuri instantly caught the kind of atmosphere he and Sora had stumbled into.

"_Are we disturbing something?"_ Yuri asked politely. Sora didn't catch wind of the tender atmosphere, but something about Kalos was strangely calming.

"_No, no, come in_." Kalos waved quite friendly inviting them into the office.

"_So why did you call us for? I thought I was on vacation."_ Sora questioned slightly suspicious of her boss knowing how he in the past had sent her to practice during holidays.

"_A star never has vacation_," he replied stern as always. Our Kaleido Star was fearing the worst and bracing herself for whatever exotic backbreaking training it would be this time.

"_We …"_ Sarah interrupted, "_called you just to let you know that we are pretty impressed with the way you handled the night out and training off the stage. Even Kalos, although he will never say this to you was impressed. Isn't that right, honey?"_

**Honey!? **Kalos thought stunned for a moment, the love he had chosen was really determined to knock him out of his stoic self today. "_Uhmm … yes."_

Sora blinked a few times, baffled at how easily Sarah handled her stern lover. She had to applaud Sarah for her courage and persistence.

But as much as this meeting was informal as it was confusing, an electronic chime rang suddenly, thus violently destroying this atmosphere. Kalos couldn't wait to answer the phone to get himself out of this position and picked up the receiver.

"_Yes hello? Kalos Eido speaking."_

Sarah let herself sink in her chair victoriously while her partner in love would try to hide his embarrassment by conducting business. She began to chat idly with Sora and Yuri.

"_Ah. Mr.Hamilton_," Kalos greeted politely, although hesitant. Sora immediately looked over to her boss thinking why Layla's father could be calling.

"_What happened?"_ Kalos asked incredulously, a look of alarm on his normally straight face. All eyes were on Kalos. After a while, he finally said, "_Yes, she's here,"_ and put the phone on speaker before looking to Sora.

"_Is something wrong?"_ Sora asked into the speaker, now concerned as well.

"_Ms. Naegino, is that you?"_

"_Yes."_**What's going on?-**Sora wanted to ask, but waited to hear what Layla's father had to say.

"_Is there anyone else there aside from you and Kalos?"_

"_Just Yuri and Sarah,"_ the star promptly answered feeling a little uneasy at such a question.

"_Tell them what you told me, Richard_," prompted Kalos.

On the other side of the phone one could hear the man sighing heavily, the tension in the room increasing even more.

"_This may sound ridiculous, but Layla is lost."_

"_What do you mean 'lost'?"_

"_I mean, she has gone missing. You know where she took a trip to, right?"_

_  
"Yes, Africa."_

"_That is where she is lost. A local contacted me after a tour-guide reported Layla missing not more than half a day ago."_

"_And_?" Sora demanded.

"_That is all we know."_

"_How do you know this isn't just a hoax?"_ Yuri interrupted ever skeptical.

"_Everything checks out; take my sincere word for it."_

"_How can she simply vanish into thin air?"_ Sora asked disbelieving such a thing could happen to her former-partner.

"_None of the villages have seen her and it has been some time. They tried to search for her, but they don't have the means to conduct an adequate investigation in such a remote place. By the time officials can participate or a private business gets hired, it might be too late."_

"_Too late?"_ Sora repeated to herself. **No**.

"_For all we know, Layla could be safe somewhere on her way to one of the villages. But chances are, is that she is somewhere alone in the wilderness with no means to protect herself."_

"_Then we have to find her!"_ Sora shouted. There was no time to lose.

"_I agree, which is why I contacted you. I want you to gather as many people as you can and aid the search party."_

At that statement, Sora's fright for her friend's safety quickly turned to anger, she hit the desk with one hand.

"_What kind of father are you?"_ Sora almost yelled, disgusted that Mr. Hamilton's reasoning.

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Sora, calm down_." Kalos tried to reason with her.

"_No! How can you sit calmly while your daughter is out there somewhere all alone? She could be injured or even worse_!" **Or worse?** Sora shivered, tears almost threatened to form but she held them back.

"_I didn't-"_

"_You should be out there yourself looking for her, instead of coming to ask someone else to do your work!"_

"_Sora…"_ Sarah said calmly, trying to calm the young Star down this time, but to no avail.

Sora was driven by the fear of losing Layla, and disgusted at her father's attitude towards this situation.

"_Of course I want to find her! She's the last thing I have in this world. I called, Sora, because if anyone could find her, it's you- whom Layla trusts the most_."

Sora was taken aback by Richard's heartfelt words. She began to calm down, the anger she built up quickly receded, only to be replaced with guilt. Guilt for accusing a desperate father for not caring, but in fact it was the opposite. He was asking Sora for help.

"What Mr. Hamilton is trying to say," Yuri began, stepping in smoothly as ever, "is that from his comfy chair, he can help more there, than by searching as one man in the field. Isn't that right, Richard?"

"Yes …" he mumbled, letting the slight go. It wasn't time to be petty.

"So what do you suggest we should do?" Kalos asked.

"_What I need to do, is send people. People I can trust. People who I can rely on. I need a group of at least twenty who can be organized and effective. I, in turn will offer all my resources, the fastest plane is being booked to get you and your people to South Africa_."

As Richard continued his plan, Sora found her mind wandering. She looked out the bay window to the shimmering ocean. It seemed so far and endless, but Layla was even farther.

If Sora closed her eyes, she could see the vast African landscape, beautiful and harsh at the same time. And now in this time of uncertainty, ideas started coming to her. She began asking herself who to pick, what to pack, how to group everyone, who she can push to the limit, how to prepare, how to encourage everyone, how to lead them.

Soon, she felt as though all the tiny threads of leadership she had woven over these couple of years now converged into one continuous line, and in this instant, Sora knew what she had to do. Without a flicker of doubt she took up the responsibility and task of finding Layla no matter what.

In her mind, she was already preparing a speech for her friends and co-performers. She didn't want to worry them, but she wanted to let them know the potential severity of the situation. She needed to be firm and take control.

She needed to get moving.

"…_So you see, I need everyone to be ready as quickly as possible. Even the fastest plane takes twelve hours to South Africa_," Richard said as he finished explaining everything to everyone in the room.

"_I'll do it_." Sora said firmly.

"_Thank you, I truly thank you, Ms. Naegino_," the concerned father said with relief.

But his words of gratitude were lost on Sora; she had already closed the door behind herself. Richard didn't know that the affirmation was to Sora herself.

Still inside the office, the three only stared at the closed door, amazed at the look Sora just had, unsure but determined. They were reassured by Sora's conviction, even though they all knew she was just as worried as they were, perhaps even more so.

Sprinting to the dormitories, Sora began to recall old memories of her and Layla. How many times did she try to run after Layla, only to catch up and be left behind all over again? And when was it that she finally caught up and equaled the blonde?

Taking all the shortcuts she knew, Sora wondered how long it had been since she had felt this…challenged. It dawned on her that this intense journey, ironically ended when she set to her own path, thus ending their rivalry/ camaraderie for good.

After more than a year of leading the stage herself, this feeling of the chase had a revitalizing effect on her- but what kind of chase this was, Sora did not yet know.

As she arrived at the dorms, she spotted Anna walking down the steps. She seemed to immediately pick up on Sora's urgent demeanor.

"_Is everything all right?"_ the aspirant comedian asked.

"_Go, and get everyone down to the training hall now,"_ Sora answered, breathing hard.

"_Wh-"_

"_Now!"_

Anna nodded, then headed back up the stairs and began beating on the doors.

Back downstairs, Sora ran to the training hall and to her disappointment, only a few people were present including Mia, Barbera, Ken, Jamie, and some of the rookies being instructed by the staff.

Mia got up from the bench immediately after seeing the stern look on Sora's face. She knew that look well, and while Sora's face radiated strong determination, her eyes were still soft and the concern she saw in them could only have been sparked by something horrible.

"_What's wrong?"_ she asked slowly.

Ken also caught on, seeing Sora out of breath. "_Calm down, catch your breath."_

Instead of answering, Sora addressed the small crowd. "_Everyone, come here please."_

Seeing that the Kaleido Star was addressing them, they all gathered to hear what she had to say. Almost a second later, Anna slid open the door, bringing in everyone except little Marion in tow.

Among the group was May and Rosetta, Sora's long time friends who knew something was going on as they crossed stares with the top star. This was definitely not the peaceful and cheerful angel she was reputed to be.

"_Come_." Sora simply said and gestured to the newcomers. As they all found a place to either sit or stand, she took another moment to consider how she was going to proceed.

For a few anxious moments, only a ferry a long distance away could be heard blowing its horn. Taking it as a cue, Sora gazed at her audience, meeting almost everyone in the eye before taking them in as a whole group.

"_I can't say I don't trust any of you here since I've come to know all of you despite the stressful moments on and off stage, but what I am about to ask of you now has nothing to do with the stage or performing."_

A heavy silence settled and no one had enough courage to reply.

Finally Mia broke the silence. "_Whatever it is Sora, were all behind you. Isn't that right_?" she said, looking over her shoulder to the others who nodded and mumbled affirmatively.

"_Right_?" Anna asked louder, seeing Sora not getting the determined response she was looking for.

Everyone answered with a strong "_Yes!"_

"_I won't sit and explain too much, but I will say this- what I ask of you is not just a favor, but a request from me. Layla Hamilton, my former guiding-star and friend needs our help. I'm not going to say why or how, because that shouldn't matter._

_I need the most capable people, who are willing to- if need be- to go beyond your limits."_

May gaped slightly; she had never beheld Sora so determined and sincere like this in a long time, or if ever.

"_No one will think any less of you if you do not volunteer; it's more helpful in this case to stay out of the way than not being fully prepared to give your all."_

Most of the rookies were a bit reluctant to say anything. Most of them had only ever known Sora and Leon as top stars and had never performed alongside Layla, so they couldn't devote themselves for what seemed to be a monumental, even impossible task as Sora presented it to be.

Even those who performed alongside Layla looked somewhat reluctant, but the majority looked willing, and that was all Sora needed to know.

Ken came up to her and spoke in a low voice, while the rest of the cast started discussing the implications of this sudden and urgent request.

"_Sora, if you think that I won't drag you down enough …"_ Ken said not wanting to be heard by everyone referring to his heart-condition, _"… then I would like to come too."_

Sora smiled, _"I knew you would. I need you to organize things. Go and take Vince with you to talk to Sarah about transport and quickly manage some supplies. Tell Vince to ask anyone of the construction crew to come, but tell him to be very explicit_."

Seeing Sora smile at him like that and seeing how she actually needed him, and was counting on him from the start, made his heart pound a bit, but he quickly set off to fulfill the task at hand. Sora had set pretty high expectations of everyone who was going to be involved, and he would not sink below them.

Sora turned and addressed her fellow peers.

"_Anna, I need you to handle plane tickets with Kalos. Mia, you go and make sure exactly who is coming. Do not let anyone unprepared come. Jamie, go with Vince to ask anyone from construction." _

"_Sora I want to come too,"_ said Rosetta, wanting to help any way she could. Sora took in the eager teenager, and smiled at her apologetically. Rosetta felt those usually friendly eyes stare back at her with a look of "you're not ready" -and she hated it.

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Sora said, "_I'm sorry, but this time I need everybody whose coming to be prepared for the harshest conditions and not give up willingly or unwillingly."_

Rosetta didn't like that tone at all. It was like she was a being talked down to- like a child. Just as she was about to give Sora a piece of her mind, another hand was placed on her opposite shoulder.

"_She's ready for everything that I am,"_ confirmed May.

Sora looked at May profoundly, and Rosetta marveled at the two older performers who were silently challenging each other like it was an often occurrence.

"_You have my word_," reaffirmed May knowing that Sora would be counting on her to look after the younger girl.

"_Very well_," Sora conceded, taking her hand off of Rosetta's shoulder without even looking at her.

Once again she turned to the crowd, and clapped twice to get everyone's attention so she could issue her last order for now.

"Everything is settled. All of you go to your rooms and pack for both extreme hot and cold. Take everything you need for at least a week. This is not going to be a vacation. Everyone is to be in front of the dorms ready in exactly 30 minutes."

All who were going to participate in this mysterious and highly important task rushed out of the hall and towards the dormitories.

Before leaving last with Rosetta, May felt the need to commend Sora on her efforts and said a simple, "_Good job."_

Sora just nodded. It was the most praise she would get out of May.

In Rosetta's room the young red-haired girl was still a bit in a haze as to how close she came to lose it in front of Sora.

"_Why does she still think I am a kid_?" Rosetta asked May bitterly, who of course was packed and ready as she stood by the door.

"_Despite your sentiments you are one."_

"_Do I still have to prove that I can be as good as everyone else?"_

"_No, it's just that you will not under do things, but overdo. Sora knows you better than you do yourself."_

"_She just said she wanted the most determined people with her, and now you're saying that giving all I've got isn't being determined enough?"_

"_It isn't. Do I need to remind you that you passed out on many occasions from the load you were forcing on yourself? Despite you thinking of Sora as unfair towards you at the moment, she was actually thinking of you. She said it for your own sake."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Simply put, she doesn't want you to tag along, only to later feel like a burden to others. Whether you realize or not, you can be one of the first to overexert and exhaust yourself, and what good would you be then?"_

May looked away_. "If it was up to me, I would not have accepted to take you."_

Rosetta was shocked by the Chinese girl's straightforward sentiments. Rosetta had never given May much credit in the 'deep thoughts' department, especially when acting upon the sake of others, but something in her tone made it seem like she was speaking from experience.

"_And yet you convinced her to let me come."_ Rosetta looked back at May, upset that she was being pitied.

"_I wouldn't want to see you angry with Sora like a kid and distance yourself from her."_

"_Did she have to be so blunt though?"_

"_She should have been a long time ago, but she didn't have it in her heart to do so, and treated you with kiddy-gloves most of the time. But now is not the time for this. This isn't about her or you, or how she thinks of you, this is about how we can help Layla."_

"_So you're saying I'm being selfish?"_

"_I'm saying that you just wasted five precious minutes complaining about nothing, while you could have been packing. So what do you think the answer is?_

_Now let's go. You can ponder yourself on the way, which is probably going to be long. Don't forget that cap, something tells me you're going to need it again."_

May turned around and dragged her big suitcase after her.

"_Then what am I supposed to do?"_ Rosetta asked, frustrated. Nothing made sense.

The black-haired girl smiled seeing a little step in the right direction. _"You just need to know what you are supposed to do."_

"_Argh! You of all people are giving me a headache!"_

"_Let's go."_

"_Right …"_ Rosetta said wanting to understand what her friend just revealed to her and to make this all make sense.

"_And try not to over-think things."_

"_Argh!"_ Rosetta repeated. It was useless when May was like this. She packed all she could, and left her room with May leading the way.

It was more than obvious that May was used to being a bigger sister, but this time she hoped that she could live up to her word.

Exactly 30 minutes after Sora declared the objective, everyone got into two minivans: one private, and one belonging to the stage, and several taxis. The convoy set off to the airport.

Rosetta found herself sitting in the same van, and next to the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Now more than ever, she wanted Sora to have faith in her.

Rosetta tugged on Sora's sleeve as the older girl looked out the window.

"_Sora?"_ Rosetta asked in a nervous voice not knowing how she would respond.

Unexpectedly, Sora smiled at her. The smile left no doubt in the young performer's mind.

"_I'm counting on you."_

Rosetta felt a rush of warmth swell in her. Those few words were confirmation that she was going to be treated equally. Rosetta was left to wonder if this was the same kind of feeling Layla gave Sora when they had no choice but to put faith and trust in each other, or fail.

Looking back at the two girls from the front seat, May let out a sigh of relief, glad that at least for now, things were good. Ken, who was driving wondered if he missed something.

Having outlined a very specific plan of what she needed, Sora had effectively assembled a twenty-two people team. A team she would push and strain to the limit- herself included. Layla's life was at stake, and for her idol, mentor and friend, Sora was prepared to go great lengths.

Fool, who had remained hidden during today's events was intrigued of Sora capabilities and pondered if it was just the impulse of necessity. But whatever it was, these kinds of things would have to wait.

He just cursed himself for not being able to locate Layla since she was out of his influence, that of the Kaleido Stage performers. He also did not want to read his tarot because at this critical point, anything that was read could be interpreted wrongly, sending everyone off course.

So, he and everyone else was only left to hope for the best, that Layla was alright and this trip would turn out to be a waste of time. But somehow Sora felt that something was indeed wrong.

In no time, they were all boarded onto a private plane, and within a few minutes were high in the sky, and the only thing Sora could do now was wait. There was only one thought running through her mind now.

**I'm coming for you.**

* * *

Big thanks to **Falling Awake** for proofreading and inserting some awesome lines. Sorry to everyone else that it took so long. The ideas are still here keeping me awake at night, but sadly I don't find enough time to write them down. I hope everyone will enjoy this. Things will start to heat up more and more after this. Maybe I'll break it down into smaller chapters to not fall so behind like this time.

Anyway, please read, enjoy and review! If all is silent how am I supposed to know people are enjoying it:P

an ancient


	11. Chapter 11

"_Layla_…" called a gentle voice in the darkness.

"_Layla_…" it repeated, this time louder.

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light. It faded as quickly as it had appeared. In its wake, the rustling of the wind blowing through the trees began to sound.

"_Layla…" _the voice called out yet again, but this time with an alluring lilt.

The bright light flashed again in the horizon, and the wind picked up and began to howl its rage.

"_I found you_." The voice giggled.

Soon, light and sound took over, increasing to a point where all haze lifted and reality came into focus as Layla finally woke up. Her body naturally gasped for air as if it had been held under water for much too long.

Lying there in a daze on the ground, Layla could hear her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. Along with the awareness of her surroundings settling in, the broken images of her fateful journey began to appear, until her mind put all the pieces together, and the memory played itself behind her eyes.

Layla gasped for air again, as the vivid memory replayed itself over and over again, until she forced her eyes open. They caught focus and all she could see was a blinding light and a few dark spots that must have been trees. She felt the bumps of the hard earth on her back.

She tried moving her muscles, but they were unresponsive and felt numb, so all she could do was stare at the sun a bit longer.

Remembering how she calmed herself during performances, her body resigned control back to her. She groaned in displeasure as the pain made itself known in full force, her body's natural painkillers barely keeping her from fainting. She took deep breaths, trying to accustom her body to the pain that wouldn't recede no matter how hard she tried; there was no point in fighting it.

The bright sun was beginning to be too much for Layla, and she instinctively lifted her arm to block the light. It barely left the ground- it felt as if there was a colossal weight attached to it. She realized she must have been out several hours for her body to be this numb. She tried moving again, and could feel soreness on her back and a searing pain in her legs. Her legs, she remembered, were first to feel the hit of the jeep in mid-air, and at the time she only felt displaced and a slight bump, not the true force of the impact that only left a wake of unbearable pain.

Layla tried to command herself to get up, and by pure determination, she eventually did. She was able to sit up and lean against her right arm which gave her the least discomfort.

Looking around, she revisited her location. Parts of the old jeep lay to her left, with various items that were in it, scattered all around. Of the trees that she parked between, only one of them remained upright. At least there weren't any animals present. Turning her head a bit, Layla let out a gasp. There it was, the old beat up jeep was now lying upside down in an isolated pond of water- a testimony to the elephant's strength and anger.

**You always have to go too far, don't you? **Layla scolded herself. It was her own fault that she now found herself in this mess. Still, she was truly thankful to be alive. In terrible pain, but alive. However, now was no the time to chastise herself- she needed to get to safety. And to do that, she needed to walk, which was a problem in itself.

Layla bent her knees slowly, and managed to support half her body, the other half she supported with her two aching arms. She could barely feel one leg, and one foot wouldn't move under her command, but she hoped she could at least stand on it.

It was make or break time for Layla as she hurled herself onto her feet, and managed to keep her balance with extreme effort. While the first step was more than difficult, the second was encouraging. The third however, overshadowed both with searing pain, which caused the blond to lose concentration and she fell to the ground, facedown in the dirt. The pain she felt was the same when she had to separate from Sora after the climax of the Legendary Great Maneuver. While at that time she faced up to the pain, here she could not bear it with every step.

A feeling of helplessness started to wash over Layla. But the performer was not about to give up just yet, and dragged herself towards the one remaining tree. Even though the tree was only a few feet away, the crawl took an incredible amount of effort. Panting and leaning heavily against the trunk, she began to reassess her options.

As she was sitting there, Layla finally noticed the constant chirpings of the insects and the various calls of the birds around, which added to the already uncomfortable heat of the sun. All these things, plus being severely dehydrated, made it difficult for her to concentrate. The options, however, weren't too hard to come up with. She could either remain here like a sitting duck, and wait for help to arrive. Or she could try and find civilization herself, with the chance that the pain from her injuries would cause her to pass out, putting her in danger. No matter how she put it, she would be left open to the elements and the wildlife. With no viable option, Layla found the middle ground. She would remain put for some time and recover from the injuries just enough for her to make it across the plains.

This plan gave her new hope despite her weakened state. A simple splint she was confident she could make, maybe even find her water bottles and fill them with some water from the waterhole the jeep now bathed in. But as much as she wanted to get going, all she could do was wait for while.

After a bit, the pain in her legs began to fade into a throb, and the symphony of sounds didn't see to bother her as much. The only thing that was unbearable now was the bright sun, and despite the occasional cool breeze, she couldn't relax.

As Layla tried to calm down, a memory from her childhood surfaced as she took a peak at the sun. She remembered as a child, how fascinated she was with the sun, believing that the Phoenix resided within it. But she was never able to see it, so maybe it was never meant to be seen by her eyes. Something so beautiful and amazing, could never be seen by such a low person like herself. Where did she go wrong?

Layla quickly opened her eyes, catching how easily it was for her to drift off into sleep. She would not, could not fall asleep under any circumstances. It was too dangerous for even a nap. The moment she closed her eyes could be her last.

Suddenly a troubling thought came to Layla. When she raced to this place, she distinctly recalled the sun setting towards the mountains, but now the sun seemed farther away, like time reversed itself. But that was impossible. It didn't change the fact that sun wasn't where it should have been.

"_That can't be right_," murmured Layla, before it dawned upon her.

The sun was farther away from setting because the journey that she thought she had set out on today was actually yesterday. This meant that that she had been laying unconscious throughout the entire night and much of the day. It came as a shock at how long Layla had been vulnerable to anything and everything without her even knowing. In a way, she was given a second chance to live.

Her body however, would not give her the slightest relief as the pain set in again. Her foot was badly injured and probably broken, but now the heat was becoming unbearable and the surrounding noises seemed louder than before. The tree she was leaning against barely had any leaves, leaving no canopy between her and the blistering sun. If she had been there for a day, then it meant she was badly dehydrated and in need of sustenance, she couldn't even remember how long it was since she ate.

Instead of being worried, Layla was frustrated at her situation. Her foolishness had left her all alone and injured, and now she was immobile and unable to reach water that was just a few feet away. The longer she waited, the more her pain grew. Her plan didn't seem to be working at all because rather than gathering strength, she became progressively weaker from the heat exhaustion.

Layla was starting to drift off again, when she heard something from behind the tree. Gingerly, she turned her head just enough to glance behind her. Not surprised, but still disappointed, she didn't see anything there. Realizing what just happened, Layla summoned her strength; she would not be beaten. But as the minutes prolonged themselves into hours, she felt a critical moment was closing in. If she was going to get anywhere, she needed to get up now despite the pain that had not subsided one bit. Because in a short time, she knew she would be too weak to leave on her own. It was already difficult for her to concentrate on any one thing for a long period of time.

"_Layla"_ that same gentle voice called out again, as if it were the climax of all the noises surrounding her. Layla flinched at the ghostly voice, and covered her ears to block it out and regain her focus. If she didn't leave at this moment, she would not just be terminally weak, but she would also lose her mind.

To her horror, the whispers returned, and that distinctly feminine voice that Layla dreaded to hear called out.

"_Layla_" it sang, accompanied by underlining mumbling.

"_No!"_ Layla yelled out, unable to take it anymore, her hands still over her ears.

Instead of going away, the voice simply giggled at her silly attempt to block the noises.

Layla finally opened her eyes in an attempt to keep her sanity. When upon finally calming down, she realized the sun was no longer bright in the sky. Instead, the day was coming to a close, and in her tormented state, time had passed without her noticing. The heat was starting to fade, and the night air began to take over, giving the distressed blonde a bit of relief. This helped her regain coherence, and even the chirps of the insects seemed to have been toned down significantly.

The one thing that had been constant up to this point was the pain. It was still unbearable, and Layla was so weak that all she could do was let her useless limbs lay motionless next to her body. Soon her fingertips started losing circulation, so Layla tried clenching and unclenching her fists to get the feeling back into them.

The cold wind of the closing day made her shudder, and Layla realized it was too late. The critical moment where she should have pulled herself up and try to reach safety had long since passed. She had been too occupied by the pain and that voice. Without any energy, Layla's mind began to slip into a fatalism as dark as the night that was slowly creeping towards her, bringing only despair.

The sweat that had poured from the heat only helped to increase the bitter cold that was now sweeping the plains.

So now fully exposed to the elements, and barely coherent enough to not pass out, Layla Hamilton, who had defied death more than once, was for the first time in a very long time- afraid. Afraid that she might die alone, never to see the ones she cared and loved ever again.

The prospect of such a lonesome fate was the last piece to shatter the once strong and unbreakable former Kaleido Star. Tears started to flow in a whimper that was getting weaker and weaker.

And while Layla was alone and shivering from the cold with no hope and only pain, once again that voice giggled, beautiful and soft, yet piercing and mocking as it said once more,

"_Layla…"_

* * *

_Thanks again to **Falling Awake** for the great proofreading job._

_Sorry it took so long to update and it was also pretty short, but I hope to finish this story someday. _


	12. Chapter 12

The two old busses packed with people hummed with lively chatter. After such a long journey, everyone was forced to accommodate to jetlag, however it would have been much worse if Sora hadn't forced everyone to sleep during the long flight. Still, many moaned and groaned from exhaustion. The famous and deadly heat was rapidly increasing on this sunny African day, plus not to mention, those old plastic chairs also weren't very comfortable.

But everyone had to bear it, seeing as how Sora was fully awake. Everyone was astounded at how focused Sora was because they hadn't seen her like this in a long while. When she was practicing for complex acrobatic feats, she was similarly focused with the same look on her face. Those who had known Sora for some time knew what this meant- she would not back down from the task at hand no matter what.

Coincidentally, this was exactly what the Japanese was thinking as she silently looked out into the beautiful landscape. **Somewhere out there … **she thought, was Layla.

Sora was tempted to believe that this whole thing had been an elaborate orchestration by the blonde herself. Sora smiled to herself imagining her former idol idly waiting to be found somewhere out there and giving her that approving smile that her expectations had been met. But Sora's scenario soon crumbled. This wasn't about her or about getting praise from Layla, it was a real dangerous situation which she had to face up to.

Her focus shifted as the bus driver, who didn't speak any English, tried to hint that they had arrived. Sora stood up and went next to the driver, catching a glimpse of the village they were approaching. Some of the houses looked surprisingly normal, not the huts and shelters she had imagined, and in the middle stood a proud flagpole with a tattered flag.

Sora's tension started to rise as the journey till now had been just that, a trip, but now finally they were going to start searching for someone who didn't just mean a lot to her, but too many other people as well.

The busses stopped and everyone stepped outside to stretch their cramped limbs and shake off the numbness of sitting for hours; it was even hotter outside then in the tin can with wheels they had just rode in. Sora hardly shed a drop of sweat and quickly made her way to a Caucasian male she spotted in an odd mixture of light clothes standing in front of the flagpole, apparently waiting. Sora hoped that this was their contact as any delays wasted precious time.

"_Wesley Patrick?"_ Sora asked prompting the man to turn around.

"_I am Wesley Patrick, nice to mee- My God!"_ the man said, apparently taken aback.

Sora looked at the man with some confusion. _"Is there a problem?"_

"_You are the help Mr. Hamilton sent?" _

Sora felt irritated at the incredulous look the man gave her.

"_Yes I am S-"_

"_Sora Naegino!" _the man cut her off rudely. _"Odette herself! Unbelievable, one star comes to help the other. You must excuse me, Ms. Naegino, but I'm so glad you were the one to come to Layla's help."_

Sora's expression turned pleasant, and feeling encouraged by those words, she gave a small smile.

"_Who knows what clueless berk might have come!" _Wesley continued, happy seeing that finally things could get started. _"But just to think that I meet not one, but two famous acrobats here out in the vast African plains. I have to say miss, that I am a big fan of you and Layla. I mean, I literally smacked my gob when I saw you two do that legendary stunt."_

"_So, where to from here?" _Sora asked getting slightly impatient.

"_The drivers just arrived and I have another old jeep you can use. We enlisted the help of three men from the local villages who were willing to help and are decent trackers who know the area. One jeep needs a driver though, but the others will lead you to old Paddy's place."_

"_Good."_

"_Someone will have to stay behind and help me with supplies and pay the local merchants, also change-pay those two bus-drivers. Also did you convert some money into the local currency?"_

"_I did. Then, this is all we have to do here?"_

"_I think so. I can be contacted from Paddy's if you need me."_

"_Everything is set then. Ken, Come over here for a minute." _Sora commanded swiftly, as the boy came to her side.

"_Ken, Wesley. Wesley, Ken." _

"_Nice to meet you."_

"_Likewise."_

"_Ken, I need you to stay here and handle supplies with Wesley. Then come join us at camp once you're done."_

"_No problem, right boy?" _Wesley said confidently, not wanting his concern to show. _"I'll have someone drive him and the supplies to you."_

"_I'll do my best," _Ken simply added knowing that was exactly what Sora wanted to hear. In turn she responded with a smile and a nod before heading off.

Sora however stopped before resuming her journey to get to know each of the three people provided by Wesley. They were all locals, friendly and motivated to do their best, not for money, but for Layla. She approached them without hesitation, but they hardly spoke a word of English. One of them knew a bit of French, however.

She was able to greet them, show her appreciation and exchange names with them. After the introductions were done, one of them handed her keys to the unmanned jeep. She called to Vince, knowing he was more than capable of driving the jeep. And so they set off in the quite large convoy of two busses and five smaller vehicles. For such a barren landscape, this was quite a force that had been rallied.

Sora remained with Vince in the jeep, but before leaving she waved to Wesley and shouted,_ "Thank you for your help."_

"_Don't mention it!"_

Then Sora remembered, _"Nice poster by the way!"_

It was only then that Ken turned around and saw the billboard at the base of the flagpole with a movie poster whose main actress was unmistakable. To see Layla here of all places was so absurd, that Ken was left speechless for a few moments, trying to piece together just what was going on here.

Sora, who was now feeling the refreshing gust of wind riding in the jeep, had been glad to see that sign. She took it like the first in a series of breadcrumbs that would ultimately lead to Layla.

As two metal structures came into view, Sora saw that the terrain had become increasingly bumpy and difficult to maneuver. This would surely slow their progress down, something they needed to compensate with excellent organization.

They pulled up, and Sora saw a local young man waiting for them. Sora was in an unfamiliar place, but she was sure that this wasn't the old guide name Paddy. This was the right place though, as indicated by a sign and Sora told everyone to get out of the bus before approaching the man.

Thulani on the other hand approached them quite anxiously, unsure as to whom they were. _"Excuse me, but tours are closed for the moment."_

Sora automatically replied, _"We came here to help with the search."_

"_You are the help?" _Thulani asked, curiously leaning to see past Sora, and seeing that most of the people which had exited the busses where quite young, especially one little red-haired girl.

"_Yes, is there a problem?" _the Kaleido Star replied expecting skepticism.

Still looking past her, the man answered dumbfounded, _"I was expecting something else."_

"_We are ready to give our best for Layla."_

"_It's not that I don't believe you miss, but Paddy will have a harder time accepting your help."_

"_I assure you we are perfectly suited for any conditions. Almost everyone here is an acrobat from the Kaleido Stage and perfectly fit."_

"_Kaleido-huh what? You're from the Kaleido Stage?"_

"_Yes, we all are."_

"_Wait a minute, if they are from Kaleido Stage, are you Sora Naegino?"_

Sora nodded.

"_What?! I thought you reminded me of someone, but I wouldn't have imagined you being Ms. Naegino."_

She took offense before he could reconsider his words, and folded her arms.

"_Why not?"_

"_You seem a lot more serious than I had thought."_

Sora sighed. _"We're not here on vacation, this is an emergency. So where can I find Paddy?"_

"_He went out to search by himself while help arrives. He's been out since the early dawn and-" _Thulani stopped, feeling an odd breeze sweeping the planes with a taste and fragrance he knew. _"So this is what he meant."_

"_Who did?" _Sora inquired curious now at the man stopping mid sentence.

"_Oh, excuse me, it's just that I noticed that the rainy season is due."_

"_Is that important?"_

"_Yes. When it rains out here it pours, and if we want to have any chance of tracking Ms. Hamilton, we have to cover as much ground before the intense rains. If we don't find her till then, we will have to search the entire region foot by foot."_

"_That's bad."_

"_Yeah, but don't worry. I see you brought trackers and vehicles."_

"_Before Paddy arrives, is there something I should know about him?" _Sora inquired.

"_Well there isn't much to say. He's likes to think himself as the 'brazen fearless adventurer', but he's quite an admirable man who knows his way around the world. Oh and also be warned-" _

Just then, a Jeep appeared out of the dry grass plains, and quickly made its way to them. Thulani hastily finished his warning. _"He's very stubborn. Don't anger him."_

Sora braced herself for this Paddy, seeing the quite large man getting out of his vehicle. He walked right past them towards the larger crowd, yelling.

"_What are you doing here? Get out of here! Tours are closed." _

Everyone was a bit shaken by this aggressive behavior and stood there for a minute not knowing how to react at this angry man.

"_They are the help that was sent!" _Thulani tried to intervene before the old grumpy guide had a chance to yell again, but he still did.

"_What? Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do with a bunch of kids?"_

"_We are up to the task at hand." _Sora said with confidence, walking up to him. The height difference was notable, but she was keeping her ground. This kind of disrespect showed to her friends was enough for her to lose her nervousness.

"_And who the blazing hell are you?"_

"_My name is Sora N-"_

"_Yes, yes," _he cut her off impatiently,_ "look girly, I don't have time to baby-sit you and your friends."_

The three local men were watching the confrontation between Sora and the grumpy Paddy with amusement. While, on the other hand, the performers looked on in fear and hoped Sora wouldn't be sent home in a box.

"_These people here came willingly to do their best. I chose each of them knowing they were suited for the task. If you have something against the choice I made, then feel free to direct that criticism towards me."_

Instead of a reply, Paddy walked around and between the Kaleido Stage performers, with a look of disappointment.

"_Do you honestly think that kids like you could survive in a place like this? I already have enough to deal with."_

Sora stopped trying to respond, feeling a hint of responsibility and guilt in that statement. The old man on the other hand, took her silence as a lack of a counterargument and continued to dissuade them.

"_I thought I made myself clear: that we needed reliable people, not some teenagers …" _He passed next to Rosetta and looked down at her _"… or kids."_

"_Can you assure me you are up for the task at hand?" _Paddy asked Sora who was behind him.

He had come by May and inspected the dog-tags around her neck, picking them up to get a better look. He frowned in disgust, but May was quick to grab hold of the man's hand with her own smaller one.

She stood there for a minute applying a press that would have made a vice blush wanting to show him that there was more strength to her. Finally, she freed her precious tags and shoved the man's hand away.

Paddy looked at the Chinese girl's determined face, and saw that in that smaller frame, was hidden more strength than he anticipated. The others also looked physically apt, not muscular, but still fit. He had effectively calmed down and was starting to reconsider his position.

Sora took that opportunity to make up his mind and walked next to him. She addressed her fellow performers with conviction.

"_It seems we are not being taken seriously here. Let's show this man what we are capable of. Line up and start with some push-ups."_

Obediently, everyone lined up quickly and properly assumed the push-up resting position. She ordered them to begin. The hot sand was even hotter as they reached the ground during the low point of the exercise, but this is something they did every day aside from their stretches. Their pride as performers would not let some ignorant stranger run his mouth.

Sora counted off each push-up. _"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, and thirty. Now with only your left arm. One, two, three, four, five …"_

Paddy looked at them closely; they were indeed very capable athletes, even the small red-haired one who was a bit out sync because she was going too fast.

After they finished, Paddy was almost convinced Sora had made the right choice. In the end, he was forced to eat his own words. _"Your choice might not have been as bad as I thought it to be. What did you say your name was?"_

"_Sora Naegino."_

Paddy raised an eyebrow while he shook her hand, wondering where he had heard that name before, when Thulani jumped in. _"She is, or was Layla's greatest partner and now the top star of the Kaleido Stage."_

"_I see," _Paddy mumbled_. "Miss, I'll be honest, your help might and I repeat- might- make all the difference, but are you sure the people you have brought can endure these harsh conditions for a prolonged period of time and that you can keep them in line for just as long?"_

"_I can assure you of that. But we should get going, time is short, apparently."_

"_Ah, yes. Layla chose a bad time to get lost. But I guess extreme conditions is where you'd expect her to end up."_

Sora didn't know what to say. Hearing him say her first name so easily and respectfully meant that the blond must have left her strong mark even with this stubborn man.

"_So what are we going to do?" _asked Thulani breaking the silence.

"_I thought that it would be a good idea to split the group into two separate shifts: one night shift and one day shift each assigned to one tracker. If Thulani also joins, we would have each one of your people and two of my people at any given time out in the field. That would make a total of five vehicles each with three pairs of eyes. Those who are not participating in the search will deal with supplies and maintaining the camp. Any objections?" _asked Sora, daring anyone to come up with something better.

Paddy found nothing objectionable _"I think I can have everyone lodged if we do it in two shifts on twelve hours. There are some old bunk beds lying around here. The problem is, I do not have any working night-equipment."_

"_One of my people is working with Wesley on any kind of issues that might arise. By nightfall we will probably have something to work with." _Sora added.

Paddy looked at the performers around him.

"_I will have to instruct them on some basic things and give a crude way of communicating with the assigned tracker."_

"_Alright, let's get started," _said Sora, eager to get started.

Until about two in the afternoon, Paddy held a quick course on what they should look out for, and taught them some basic African words so they could work well with their tracker. He instructed them to tread lightly in such a dangerous land. After everything was taught, everyone gathered around for final instructions.

"_Now who will go on the first shift? _asked Sora._ "It will be a shorter one, so anyone who honestly feels like he didn't get enough sleep on the way here, should take this opportunity now. So who will it be?"_

After some discussion, Sora organized them and split them up. Thulani lead them into one of the two cylindrical structures. _"Follow me please to get some equipment."_

Maps were found and distributed to the trackers. Every last water bottle and worn down pair of binoculars was dug up until a replacement could be found, but they still were running short.

It was up to Ken to deal with this problem until the first shift was over. Hopefully Layla was found before then, but no one allowed themselves to slip into fuzzy optimism. On this first sweep, those who could drive were taken so they could learn how to effectively search for someone in this huge landscape.

Until more trackers could be found, they needed to distribute their human resources well. Sora decided to take the load of one of the more tired members and take the night shift, as much as going out was itching her.

Some areas of the map were crossed out since they had been searched by Paddy already. It was quite an impressive stretch of land he had covered, but mainly they were routes to other nearby or distant villages, should Layla have taken such a route.

All Sora could do now was wait until word came back to her, or until the next shift began. Time passed painfully slow, and she along with the others tidied up everything in their base. It was a mess but there was nothing else to do, besides organization was key. The only thing Sora could do to keep her mind off of things was to figure out why May and Rosetta had insisted to go with Paddy. Rosetta perhaps had been tired out by the flight, or maybe May wanted to prove something to the man as soon as she could after their first tense meeting. Hopefully they wouldn't drift far from their main objective.

As the sun was starting to set, Ken called in to announce that they were almost finished, and if they needed any extra equipment. Sora didn't know where to begin but most of what she mentioned, Ken had found although in small number. Nonetheless it was still improving their odds.

Not too long after, Wesley and Ken arrived. Sora was waiting to help unpack everything.

"_Nice. These will come in helpful,"_ She said to Ken carrying a crate full of supplies.

"_I'm sorry we couldn't find more," _he replied unloading another crate.

"_We will have to search other villages tomorrow," _Wesley added, while taking note of what had been brought. _"We can't cripple other villages buying too much from them. They already are living on the edge."_

"_I understand," _Sora replied getting the last crate.

"_You should have seen your boy here. It's like he was made for bartering."_

"_My name is Ken." _The blonde replied offended.

"_Now now, don't get cocky, boy."_ Wesley continued to joke.

"_Well you two seem to get along," _Said Sora with an amused smile.

Ken sighed, but was content to just see Sora smile.

Meanwhile in the wilderness a different kind of bonding was taking place. May and Rosetta had been carefully listening to what Paddy had to say whilst maintaining a full panoramic coverage of the surrounding scrub.

At every chance, May questioned the man whether his methods were efficient enough, and so they argued. But they did so in a very strange way because they still maintained their lookout position- so they fought without looking at each other. All Rosetta could do was wait till they ran out of things to fight over, but by the looks of it, they were still going to be at it for another few hours.

However, just as she could take no more, something had jumped into Rosetta's field of vision. At first she thought it was the haze from the heat, but she realized it wasn't.

"_Stop!" _she shouted to Paddy.

Paddy immediately slammed the brakes, almost throwing May out of the jeep and asked,_"What? WHAT?" _

"_Over there, by that log! That's the kind of thing you told us we should be looking for."_

"_Oh you kids, that was probably a wildebeest or something similar," _he gruffed, not paying any attention to Rosetta.

"_Look at it closely. Like something rolled down there. What's over there? A river?" _Rosetta asked putting away her binoculars to check the map.

"_Yes, there's a river that flows south, but it's dry this time of the year." _Paddy replied looking through his own binoculars. He was stunned for a moment, then started the car up in a split second. _"I think you're right."_

Driving like a madman to the log, he stopped the car and got out to inspect the scene. Too much soil had been shifted for it to be an animal, not that any animal would purposely roll into a dry riverbed. But the lack of rain had preserved very strong imprints on the river edge and even on the riverbed. This was definitely significant and after few hums Paddy reached a conclusion.

"_These treads are small and head south of camp and down river. She might have driven along this river."_

"_Why would Layla do such a thing?"_

"_I think she found it convenient. I'm pretty sure it was her. That log seems to have been scraped as well."_

"_Are you sure?" _asked Rosetta.

"_I'm sure. I have yet to see such marks made by vehicles. No one does tours along the river or in this area as far as I know."_

Paddy looked at the marks one more time and climbed out of the river to mark the spot on the map looking around for hints and checking his compass.

"_Ok, let's head back to camp."_

"_WHAT!?" _Rosetta and May exclaimed in unison.

"_We've finally found something and you want us to go back?" _May continued yelling, unable to believe that Paddy would stop just as they were getting somewhere.

"_It's already late. I don't have any equipment for a night search and if we go further, we won't have enough gas to return back to camp, and then we'd be stranded ourselves."_

Rosetta and May both calmed down not having any reasonable arguments, and got in the jeep.

"_Now, if you ladies from now on, would like to tell me how to do my job I'd appreciate it if you would shut it," _Paddy said rudely.

"_If we had listened to you, we wouldn't have found those marks," _defended Rosetta leaving the man to eat his own words.

"_She got you there old man,"_ May added whilst Paddy just grumbled.

On the way back things calmed down. The heat was starting to dissipate and a crimson sun was setting down to their right as they drove back to camp. It was an odd silence, one that had not graced the three strong tempers.

Paddy, of course decided to break the peaceful silence. _"So why did you so desperately want to group up with me?" _he asked May who had been the one to insist.

"_I'd like to know that too." _Rosetta added.

"_Did you really have to prove yourself to me?"_

"_Well, I could say that you are probably the best tracker, and Rosetta being the youngest would have handicapped the group she was in …" _explained May.Rosetta frowned and she noticed.

"_But that's not true now is it?" _ May smirked, "_I just wanted to knock that chip off your shoulder."_

Paddy laughed. _"Kids these days. By the way, now that we cleared that up- what is it with those dog tags you're wearing?"_

"_What? Did you think they are some sort of fashion statement? My grandfather and his cousin died on the battlefield."_

Rosetta already knew the story, having asked the same question herself, and also knew how precious the relics were to May.

"_Oh, I didn't expect that. Which war were they in?"_

"_The Vietnam War."_

"_What? Let me see those." _

May hesitated for a second but then handed them over, her hand still holding them by the chain. Paddy tried to read them carefully while still driving the car with one hand and holding the tags with the other hand to the reddish light of the setting sun.

The old man almost dropped his jaw in surprise. _"You're a Wong?"_

"_Yeah, what of it?" _May said pulling the tags out of his hand.

"_You're Lu's granddaughter?_

"_Lu?" _Rosetta asked.

"_Yeah that was grandfather's name."_

"_Master Sergeant Lu Wong?"_

"_Yeah, I think that was his rank. Do you know him?"_

"_Know him? He was my superior, role model and worst nightmare."_

"_Don't be such a baby. What, did he torture you or something?"_

"_He was my senior officer, of course he tortured me! But he was still a good man, if not the best man. Unlike others his rank, he never just ordered people around. He was in the field there just as much as the privates and never shied away to prove that he was in top form. What was interesting about him was especially in the Vietnam war, he was looked at suspiciously, for being Chinese and fighting the Chinese amongst others in that conflict."_

A silence settled for a while leaving May to reflect what she had just heard. She knew her grandfather was honored in her family as a hero and the one who was brazen enough to lead his family to America at the time and enlist in the U.S Army to prove his citizenship.

No one had expected the now deceased man to take such a liking to the army. May found this new information very interesting. No one in her family had any real idea what her grandfather had really done, and only knew what they had been told by officials.

May wanted to ask him some more but stopped as they were approaching the camp. There would be another time for restoring the memory of Lu Wong, but now more pressing matters were at hand. Rosetta was especially keen to get back to camp since their discoveries were seemingly significant.

Sora looked sternly at the group, tapping her wristwatch indicating they had taken too long. _"You're late."_

"_For a reason," _said May sharing a sense of victory with Paddy and Rosetta.

"_Where are the others?" _Paddy asked entering the room and seeing the other guides and several others from the Kaleido Stage staring at a big map while discussion went on. _"Found anything?"_

Everyone looked at each other disappointed. Mia and Anna who had kept a close eye on what the guides had scribbled on the maps had transferred the information to the larger map and gave him a quick report.

Mia adjusted her glasses and began. _"Group two ran across a herd of elephants and later a group of solitary male elephants. The driver told me it was important, so I noted it. _

_Group 3 ran into problems with fuel and had to cut half of their searching area, Vince has since fixed that. Group 4 ran into guides from other camps that didn't see anyone lost, but they checked themselves to make sure. Group 5 reported a group of buffalos, and two herds of gazelles, one considerably bigger than the other one. No group has yet seen any sign of the missing vehicle or Layla."_

Anna nodded, silently going over the information. _"Me, Ken and Vince took care of fitting the cars with some night equipment, but we are running short on those. Ken will try to get more tomorrow. Everyone who is going to take the night shift has already eaten. No injuries, but some scratches from the scrub," _sheadded.

"_Is that all?" _said the old guide looking at the map piecing together the information he had received. The movements of the elephants and the distance to other grazers were normal.

"_Yes," _Mia answered, also looking at the information they had gathered. _"This doesn't look good."_

Paddy glanced at the worried girls, and gave Mia a disbelieving look, silently asking her to prove her assumption.

"_Considering we've done a full 360 degree search this next shift will have a smaller search area. Add to that the times to travel back and forth and by the same time tomorrow after another 2 shifts the active search area will have be a fourth of what we had covered today," _sheexplained_._

"_You think too much." _Paddy said bluntly, taking the pen from her hand and marked a spot on the map checking his own to make sure.

Sora who had just finished making sure May and Rosette were alright, spotted the victorious expression and rushed to see what Paddy had to say since the two girls wanted her to hear it from the guide himself.

"_What's there?" _she asked eagerly.

"_I think this is where Layla came to at one point." _

All chatter ceased at once. May, who was leaning with her arms crossed in the frame of the door, just smirked.

"_What have you found there? Tell me!" _Sora almost yelled in alarm.

"_There were very strange trails there leading upriver. I believe they were made by her."_

That was just what Sora was suspecting, seeing the pleased look in his eyes, but even if she had suspected it, the tremor she felt was just as strong.

"_Are you sure only she could have made those trails and that they belonged to her?"_

"_Yes. No one here locally uses the rivers as a shortcut since there are other shorter paths. None of the other tourist agencies would drive through there with customers. The marks I found were also too specific to have been an animal known to me. Unless there is someone else alone out there, I'm sure this is the general direction in which she went. Kudos go to the kid over there for spotting it." _Paddy said, throwing his thumb behind him.

Rosetta pouted at being labeled a child, but blushed as she caught everyone else's thanking eyes and applause.

"_Perfect!" _Mia exclaimed. _"This lucky break cuts the area we need to search more than in half and gives us a new starting point."_

"_On the other hand," _Paddy interrupted, _"after just one day we'll again be in a pinch. Not to mention the rainy season is going to start soon. Hopefully we can find her till then. Considering she went missing almost a day before we started searching, we must speed up to catch up with her."_

"_That is if she's still driving," _Sora said, realizing that both options had a catch. If Layla was still moving, the search would be prolonged. If she were not on the move, they could find her faster, but then again, if she did stop for some reason- it would mean something had happened to her.

"_However, after we cover the plains - if she got there- there are some areas which are constantly monitored: wild life reserves, indigenous villages and such."_

"_Then let us not waste any more time."_

Finally, it was Sora's turn to jump into action and get her hands dirty. Before leaving, the Kaleido Star or in this case the Kaleido 'leader', patted Rosetta on the head, not just asking forgiveness for not trusting her in the first place, but in appreciation with her help thus far.

To Rosetta the small gesture had been so short it threw her off for a bit.

The cars were refueled, and the night shift groups were assembled. Sora opted to go with Paddy.She took with her some thick sweaters, a bit of nourishment and a flashlight. She knew this shift would be more difficult and a lot more dangerous in the dead of night, but that is the very reason why she had wanted to take part in them.

The last thing before she departed was to remind everyone to sleep well while they were gone. The performers were going to need all the rest they could get in preparation for the next days.

With the night now taking over, Sora and the others set out in a convoy. Paddy insisted on driving the Jeep, so Sora sat in the passenger seat with Anna and Mia in the backseats.

In the other groups, the guides left the driving to the others so they could focus all their expertise in searching with the lights that they had acquired. On the other hand they were also the most tired members of this operation, and could not be strained for much longer.

Rosetta's find would be the starting point for a new, narrower search, but even so they couldn't be too hopeful. A night search meant they had to double check everything and be careful of any wild animals. But Sora was more than determined, and the only thing that would stop her was success. She would not fail in her search for Layla.

* * *

Thanks again to **Falling Awake** for doing such an awesome job at proofreading this. (the 4koma got delayed btw because I couldn't produce anything good)

Thank you to everyone else who read this story. Being a last-year is really more time-consuming than I would have imagined. I hope tough that you enjoyed this latest chapter. I'm not going to drop this until it's finished so stay tuned.

If you enjoyed this chapter leave a comment so I know my and Falling Awake's work is appreciated.


	13. Chapter 13

A word to all you readers who have been patiently waiting for this. I'd recommend rereading some of the previous chapters since it's been so long since I updated.

* * *

"_Day again,"_ Layla said to herself as the first signs of the sun appeared over the horizon.

The night had been unbearable for her. At first she thought the cold would be the worst of it, but wild animals kept her awake all night. She didn't know where they had been this whole time, but judging by the growls and roars they had been very close. Was it her luck not to be found? Maybe it was her punishment to suffer a bit longer. Whatever shred of hope Layla managed to preserve over the long night was nothing more than an irritating little doubt in the back to her head, as she had already started coming to terms with her obvious outcome.

"_So I guess this is it?"_

"_If that's what you want."_

Layla frowned. She wasn't surprised by this anymore, simply tired of it. Last night the same insistent voice kept her paranoia alive. Layla chose to believe that it was just her imagination. She would not give into her pain and into her visions, but maintain every last scrap of sanity she had left. Unfortunately the sun and dehydration throughout the day had gotten to her, and being alone and injured and totally vulnerable in the dark didn't help.

The coolness of the night kept her from passing out, but at the same time had her shivering and aware of her pain. During the night, Layla again tried to make a run for it, but gave up when her painful leg was nothing more than a limping piece of bone and meat at that point.

Today there was even less feeling and she wondered in her shattered state of mind when this had happened. Just when did the numbness spread up her legs? And why were her fingers also starting to feel numb? **I won't give in, even if it kills me, **Layla thought, waiting to see if she got a response. She did.

"_Maybe it will," _her hidden tormentor replied.

"_I knew it." _Layla smiled bitterly, stooping low to give into her figments a bit by trying to trick them.

"_Aren't we shrewd… "_

"_Just go away, I have nothing to say to you."_

"_Oh, sorry. I didn't see you were having interesting conversations with … oh wait… scratch that,"_ laughed the voice as it mocked her.

"_Go away! We both know you're nothing more than my mind playing tricks on me."_

"_Hmph, what could you know about insanity?"_

"_As much as you obviously."_

"_Oh, that's very clever. But despite your inability to entertain your own thoughts coherently, you've been talking to me now for the past minute."_

Layla became quiet.

"_Also, don't try to pretend you didn't hear me last night, I mean, us."_

"_There's more of you?"_

"_Haha, there you see? You did it again."_

The blonde frowned, having fallen for that.

"_Oh and this is just the start. You'll sink lower and lower to the point that you'll be begging me to talk to you and keep you from stepping over the precipice of madness. But by that time it will already be too late."_

"_Oh please, what could you possibly do to lose my …"_

"_Do you hear that?" _the voice interrupted.

Layla felt a sudden tension in her body and asked almost afraid. _"W-what?"_

"_Don't you hear that? This sound!"_

The noises of the early morning died out, even the cool racing wind was no louder than a whisper. Instead something else started resonating within the plain.

"_What is this sound? So beautiful!" _the voice exclaimed enthusiastically.

No matter what she did, Layla could not pinpoint the sound; her hearing was almost muffled as if she were underwater.

"_Just what is this sound? It's like a really long beeeep."_

Now she could hear it, even though the sound was not clear and due to her battered mind, she couldn't perceive it properly. Her sight began to mirror her lack of hearing, as the landscape began to tremble sickeningly. Fear overpowered Layla, and she instinctively covered her ears and closed her eyes trying to regain her focus. After a few more antagonizing moments it receded.

"_Oh, look it stopped. That's a shame. It was a catchy tune," _the female voice giggled childishly.

"_What did you do? Tell me!" _

"_Whoa, hold on. Are you saying I had something to do with this?" _

"_Answer me!"_

The detached sound giggled again. _"Wasn't that fun? It wasn't my doing, though."_

"_What do you mean?" _the injured star asked angrily.

"_Don't you get it? I can't do anything to you. I only have the power of suggestion. You'll go mad by yourself."_

Layla started to forget her pain as the world seemed to have blurred around her. The new pain would now unfold directly in her mind. She tried to find a way out. But it was just a part of her right? That's what she remembered. As long as she thought about creating a barrier, it might just stop. She thought that if she could ignore it again like last night, then maybe the torment would end.

"_What are you doing?"_ it asked after minutes passed without a single word spoken. _"What are you thinking? Are you ignoring me?"_

It seemed to be working as focus seemed to return to her. The plains started feeling like the scorching hell they had been, but it was a welcome feeling as her senses were returning back to her.

"_You can't seriously think that's going to work. Do you hear me!? It's not going to work!"_

Despite the angry shouts, the natural sounds of the wild were returning. Closing her eyes as hard as she could and covering her ears, Layla tried focusing on silence so that her phantasm might cease to exist. It seemed to work, but when she thought that, it spoke again in an indignant, yet triumphant tone.

"_Fine! If that's what you want, here's your reality check!"_

A terrible roar shocked Layla out of her thoughts. The blurry shapes quickly regained their contours and now a terrible sight befell her. Standing menacingly before her, with its mouth still open from the roar, was a huge male lion. She recognized it to be the male she had seen the other day. If it could be considered big then, now it seemed colossal. This was the lion that easily devoured other animals and now stood there intending to do the same to her.

"_Didn't expect this, did you?" _the voiced mocked.

"_Is this real?" _Layla asked not realizing her voice might provoke the animal who growled.

"_Who knows." _it giggled. _"Maybe you should poke it."_

Even if her imaginary sadist was still present, the scene before her had to be real. The eyes she was staring at were the eyes of a hungry lion. Fear injected her with adrenaline, boosting her focus.

The powerful animal looked a bit unsure as to what this creature under the tree could be. Perhaps it was the first time it had seen a human. But it had a breath and the stench of meat on it. But something didn't add up in its mind. It was clearly alive, but why didn't it run? Prey should always run away for him to hunt, it should always struggle for his hunger to grow, and in the end die for him to eat. So why did this yellow creature with a multicolored skin just sit there? It roared trying to provoke a reaction.

The only thing Layla could do and the only response she could give were tears. Tears of resignation, that there was no way out of this. Whole waves of horrible realization coursed through her, but while her end seemed final, why didn't the core feeling in her heart mirror this?

Why did something tell her that this wasn't the end, just really painful and unfair? Why?

The answer came in a low growl coming from what Layla saw as another male lion, adding to her torment. She felt that fate was just laughing at her now.

The lion that joined the present one was even larger, but seemed older. It had scars all over its body, dried up and crusted over with nothing more than a memory to it. Its walk brought it next to the other lion who seemed not to be bothered by it.

Layla's mind raced in her current condition and she quickly realized this must be the co-regent of the pride she had seen. Why it had not showed up the other day was unclear. But instead of terror, its presence somehow relaxed Layla. All she could do was breathe and wait for it to move.

The older animal looked Layla straight in the eyes, almost mesmerized by the sky-blue eyes and hair so golden it could be the morning sun. Layla in turn gazed into the creatures yellow eyes and saw something not found in the younger lion. There was no desire to kill in its gaze, just wonder. Age also was reflected in the stare as even for just a simple creature, it had seen all that life had to offer his kind and maybe more. The lion read the unfamiliar creature's trepidation and understood that it posed no threat. Despite his younger counterpart's hungry stare, this prey could hardly satisfy one of them, let alone the entire pride.

With nothing more than a slightly empathetic look to give Layla, it walked back to the other lion, before nudging it to move along. There would be other prey more suitable for their hunger. This thing was to be left alone, it wasn't worth the time and he decided he would not be the one to end its suffering. The lion knew this creature did not fit into its circle of life, and knew to leave it alone.

Whether or not it could even understand, Layla gave a silent thank you, before it simply blinked and turned to leave, and now she was alone again. She hoped she would not fall to the madness again.

"_Aren't you the lucky one." _The voice returned, not as prominent as before. The incident had weakened its hold.

"_Maybe I'm fated to suffer trial after trial, and it's up to me to survive __**all**__ of them."_

"_Don't be foolish! That stupid idea has been with you ever since you overcame everything that circus had thrown at you."_

"_So?" _Layla pretended to not understand, mocking the displeased voice.

"_I thought that after your grand final act you decided to abandon such fairy-tale notions and credit your merits on your own skill."_

"_And? What is it to you?"_

"_If you think anyone is going to rescue you now, because you feel like someone's looking out for you, then you've gone mad faster than I had thought."_

"_Perhaps … but sush now. I want to sleep for a bit."_ Layla suddenly felt tired as the adrenaline quickly disappeared from her body.

"_You're so close to the brink of death, that you might never open your eyes again."_

"_We'll see."_

To her relief, the voice did not reply.

Feeling safe for now after that frightening experience, Layla felt almost giddy; giddy and slightly jumpy like anyone would be after they nearly escaped death. After so much frustration and anxiety, she found the peace to sleep again, easily forgetting that she was so close to the edge of insanity, and far from safety. But whatever the reason, Layla felt at ease and was easily lulled to her dreams.

But during her sleep something happened. Her mind slipped back and forth between consciousness and dreaming, and whenever she felt like she was going to wake up, the darkness behind her eyelids pulled her back. In her dreams she felt more lucid than when trying to wake up, but something was happening and she was aware of it. A strong pounding inside her head like someone was trying to say something, but was blocked from doing so. In the dream she could hear herself breathing harder and harder, almost choking on something.

Had her madness taken over? Had it indeed predicted Layla's demise? All these images, these strange scenes, sounds and concepts were whirling in her mind. Was this it? Would this half-conscious ghastly and spectacular show end in her death, or will she just wither away slowly after it peaked?

But Layla started to get a grip, the paralysis lifting as clarity returned contrasting the insanity. Now she could understand the images: visions of her past… terrible disfigurement … scenes of her success… vivid tragedies …her loved ones …her demons. There was sound; it was deafening yet not making sound at all. Layla knew that what she was seeing. In this cesspool of her mind were her most hidden fears, her darkest emotions, and things she didn't even know she possessed deep within her. Yet, before her, it was all conjured up and she drank it all, experiencing absolute terror, absolute truth.

But now that she had seen it, she instantly felt the urge to reject all that she had ever been until now. She felt disgusted with herself and removed the curtain that blocked this festering part of her. And as she did, there was this feeling of understanding, of resolution to the fact that this was also truth to her, a fundamental part of who she really was. Hidden as it should have been, it acted like a lock, a moral guide, but now it was merely the missing key to her madness.

"_Layla!"_ someone shouted to her.

Gasping for air, Layla opened her eyes. The blinding sun she now stared into was no warmer than a lit candle. Her hands were clawing the air trying to reach out, before she dropped them lifelessly having regained her full consciousness. For a blink of a moment, all the self-loathing surfaced, but it quickly faded away, never to be seen again. Like after a terrible nightmare, an unnerving feeling coursed her body, leaving her shaking, but it seemed that the worst had passed as she forgot the visions she beheld only moments ago, but it went further than that.

She had forgotten ever falling to sleep, questioning if she had truly awakened. Looking around, she couldn't understand what was going on. Her almost lifeless legs she didn't understand. What was that jeep doing there? What had she been doing? Why was she alone in this place? Why did it hurt so much?

Now the second wave of her awakening hit her, and all the memories that led up to her predicament re-coursed through her brain. This time, however they seemed easier to digest, as if her nightmare helped her deal with her problems. But then she tried to remember. **Was that all just a dream? **There was this sensation that she was forgetting something.** Is there someone else here? **She remembered getting angry at someone. Had that someone actually been real? She also remembered two lions. **Did they ever notice me? **But _that_ was something she clearly remembered now, but… **What was I doing until then? **she asked herself.

Before she could dwell on it more, a familiar voice made her heart jump.

"_Now you went and done it." _

Was this real? Even if her ears deceived her, she could see the familiar face, the familiar posture and gestures.

"_Cathy?" _Layla asked surprised.

Her friend stood before her with a disappointed look on her face. Like she wasn't surprised by what had happened. Cathy crouched before her at the base of what didn't even feel like legs anymore. Cocking her head to the side, Cathy looked down at Layla as she would to a child.

"_You always were stubborn, and now look at you."_

"_Cathy! What's going on? Help me!" _Layla pleaded, not understanding her friend's hesitation.

"_Help you?" _she laughed. _"No, I can't help you anymore … and it's such a shame, too." _Cathy got up and swatted the dust off her pants. She began to slowly walk away, not even facing the blonde. _"A shabby last performance from the great Layla Hamilton."_

"_Wait!" _Layla yelled after her. _"Why aren't you helping me?" _

"_There's nothing she can help you with," _a stern voice spoke from behind her as footsteps came closer.

**It couldn't be, **she thought, but to her dismay her suspicions were correct.

"_Father." _

"_Layla," _he answered in a rare calm voice, but with sadness hidden underneath. _"What has become of you? What have you done?"_

"_Please, don't look at me like this," _she said looking away from him in shame. She could not bear to see her father's disappointed face. _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disappoint you."_

"_Disappoint me?" _he said a bit surprised. _"You'd think I'd be disappointed? You're my daughter; no matter what you do I'll always be there to support you."_

"_Father…" _she said almost coming to tears.

"_You might have let Cathy down, but I … I'm just sad at what happened." _He patted his girl's head. _"I never wanted you to push yourself for my sake. I know you didn't want to become a burden after you mother died." _

Richard took a deep breath before continuing, starting in a tone as to mock himself _"In my 'wisdom,' I decided to let you beat yourself up about it, thinking that it would strengthen you, that in time it would heal the wound I will carry to my grave. But I see now that I have made a big mistake. You thought that I wasn't happy with all that you did and I admit, that for a time I believed it myself."_

"_N…n-no …"_

"_I thought that as long as I kept you striving for my recognition you would never leave me, and never come to harm … I was wrong."_

Layla couldn't say anything, she wanted to but words failed to come out. She wasn't ready for this confession all of a sudden.

"_I didn't want you to leave me alone. I was selfish. But this has kept you from realizing your true potential, and I don't mean the stage." _

"_W…what do you mean?" _

"_Layla, have you ever fallen in love with somebody? Did you ever do anything for yourself? Have you ever looked past the stage, past the performance of the theater? Did you ever consider becoming like you mother?"_

"_I ..." _she mumbled shyly _"I was …"_

"_Too busy, right?" _Her fathered chuckled faintly. _"Oh what I have done to you. Layla, all I ever wanted was to give you happiness, but that's something I can't do anymore. I kept you bound to my will for so long. Layla please listen to me, you don't always have to be strong one, the pillar of support, the star to be looked upon. You don't have to always be what other people expect you to be. Besides the stage, what is it that you want?"_

"_I..."_

"_Yes?"_

"…_don't know," _she replied in a whisper.

"_No, don't do that again, I'm not angry or disappointed." _He raised her chin gently with his hand. _"Look at me."_

"_I'm sorry," _was all the young Hamilton could say.

"_No, please don't say that. You have done nothing wrong. I'm just … sad, because it's entirely my fault. All my meddling which I thought would protect and aid my family, only weakened it and now made me lose it."_

His words sounded so sad, that Layla was certain tears were falling silently down her cheeks. There was something odd, but the moment itself had become too much for her to handle.

"_First your mother and now you … I must be the most terrible person in the world. Layla all I ask is that you forgive me … I'm sorry."_

Never had she heard such words coming from her father.

"_Yes … I mean no! There's nothing to forgive, please don't think that it's your fault. You made mother happy all that time and continued raising me after she died and … and I'm still here with you."_

Richard stood up shaking his head slightly. _"No, I'm afraid you're not. I thought you had realized it by now, but Layla- you're dead." _

Layla's eyes widened and a tremor coursed her entire body. The sinister thought flooded all her emotions with a fear so strong that it became almost palpable. She couldn't believe it...she was dead.

"_W...wha … this can't be true. I can't be …"_

Her father interrupted her. _"It's true, as much as I wish it weren't, it's true."_

"_But …"_

"_You didn't survive your encounter with the lions; they attacked and killed you despite what you led yourself to believe. They tore your body apart before you were discarded, only to be found a day later by someone. You would have almost survived, but I guess you weren't meant to. What remains were left, were identified and brought back home. We gave you a funeral and buried you. A month after that, I committed suicide."_

Richard started to walk away leaving his daughter in a state of shock. _"Before I go, let me just remind you, that you have always made me proud."_

"_Father!" _she yelled, desparately. _"Father! Father…Father … D-dady, Daddy! Daddy come back!"_

She had never called him like that, but still she didn't get a response. Had it really been too late?

"_Don't worry. You know how your father is at times."_

From the hazy distance her father had disappeared, and another figure appeared, a figure she didn't even want to recognize.

"_No… No! No! No! NO!" _she screamed, not making any sense of it all. This was too much.

"_Oh Layla, is this how you greet me after such a long time? Do you really hate your mother that much?" _the older woman said teasingly to her daughter.

"_No! I didn't … mean to upset you … Not again," _she said in a self-loathing voice.

Rola quietly laughed, and crouched next to her daughter, giving her a reassuring hug letting her head rest comfortably on her chest.

"_I know you didn't, and while at first I could not bear having you angry with me, I quickly saw your own kind of care in it. Not as selfish as you might have thought at the time." _

This was unbelievable to Layla. The voice, the face, the scent, the long golden hair; everything was just as she remembered. After all this time her mother did not show any signs of aging, the similarities between the two were striking.

"_Mother … Mother, what's happening?" _she asked as her cheek was caressed, calming her.

"_Your father is very sad about what happened, and your friend is blaming herself for what happened."_

"_But it was … they shouldn't …"_

"_Shhh, I know, don't worry."_

"_This shouldn't have happened. This is not how it is supposed to be," _Layla said weeping in her mother's embrace._ "It's not fair!"_

"_Don't be sad. If you are sad, then I will be sad as well. Let's just sit here for a while. Remember how we used to do this all the time when you were younger?"_

Layla smiled a bit remembering. _"I could never sit still for long enough."_

"_But I always did find a way to keep you calm."_

"_Whispering was allowed, whenever dad had something important to do or think about" _her daughter remembered.

Rola stroked Layla's hair soothingly, putting the former star at ease. Her daughter's hair cascaded down her back, just like hers did all those years ago.

Layla remembered how fondly she enjoyed having her hair combed by her mother each morning before they left the mansion. Silly as it may seem to her now, she felt like true royalty. Now the same fingers brushed again through her hair gently. Trying to resist the temptation to fall asleep, something caught her attention.

"_Wait. Didn't I cut … my hair?" _

But before she could consider it further, Rola pulled her head close to her, whispering something to her.

"_There's someone very important here for you, but before you welcome your friend, I want to tell you one thing."_

Layla remained quiet, she knew what her mother was about to say. Something she had only dreamt of hearing, something she resigned herself never to hear, but still she was hoping…

"_If you still think that I went to my death upset with you, then let me say that there is no need for forgiveness. I was never mad at you, but if it will put your heart at ease, then I'll say it … I forgive you."_

In the instant Layla heard that, the softness and comfort of her mother was replaced with the rough feel of tree bark. And where had her long beautiful hair disappear to? Had it not been there just a minute ago? Layla was alone again, the joy of hearing her mother's words was replaced with the fear of being alone, so she cried out looking everywhere for the familiar golden presence.

"_Mother! … Mother! … Come back!"_

The only response she got was another hazy figure slowly taking shape, but unclear as it was, Layla knew this was not who she cried out for, yet this new presence brought up other emotions in her.

"_Don't worry. Your mother said she'd be back later to pick you up."_

**That voice … it can't be! **

"_So this is where you had been all this time."_

"… _Sora?"_

"_Yes?" _the younger girl said finally becoming a clear contour in the blazing mirage she had arrived from.

"_Wh… What are you doing here?"_

A giggle echoed, a surprising sound for such a wide open area. _"Isn't it obvious? I came to find you."_

"_How did you …?"_

As if expecting that question, Sora answered_. "We were all so shocked after hearing the news. I couldn't get on the stage after that. But, I remembered how you always shined on the stage and how you had wanted the best for me. So in your memory, after a half a year of trying to come to terms, I returned to embrace the role you had safeguarded for me for so long. The role of the true Kaleido Star."_

Sora stopped for a moment looking sadly into the ground, tears on the verge of forming.

"_Did something …?"_

"_I guess … I guess I failed you. I couldn't get over it. A few weeks after my return, I had an accident on stage having lost my focus." _The girl chuckled fondly. _"Remember what you always used to tell me when rehearsing? 'Focus and Form are the two things you always have to watch.'"_

Sora became silent again for a short time.

"_Then, after you were chosen to perform the Legendary Great Maneuver, I added something to your rule. There are three things you always have to watch; Focus, Form and Fool."_

She giggled to herself, but her attempt at lightening her friend and mentor's mood failed horribly. This was not what Layla wanted to hear at a time like this.

"_What happened to you after that? Tell me!"_

"_I…" _Sora hesitated._ "I was never was able to return to the stage. My injuries were pretty bad, and the night after it happened, I kept falling in and out of a coma until I was clinically dead, sustained only by machines," _she explained as she rubbed her neck as if it still hurt after her accident. _"I guess ..." _Sora continued trying not to give into her emotions, _"I guess I preferred it this way. I didn't want you to see me die similar to what your mother had."_

"_How can you even think that!?" _Layla angrily yelled at her. _"What about all the people that care about you? Do you think they enjoyed seeing you like that? Do you think they will ever accept that you shriveled away in front of them, with no chance to say goodbye?"_

She stopped abruptly having to breathe, but she realized just what position she was in. Here in front of her, was her partner … no, her most beloved friend, and all she could do was yell at her for something that had been her fault from the beginning.

"_God, what have I done?" _she cried out in desperation.

"_Please …" _Sora said turning away, not wanting to see Layla in such a state. _"Please don't blame yourself."_

"_But I have caused so much suffering. You and my father have died! And Sora, what of everyone else? Are people moving on, or are they still grieving for us? Did we bring the stage to ruin?"_

The girl in front of her remained with her back turned. Had she guessed correctly?

"_Enough of this. I did not come here to let you suffer." _Sora turned abruptly. _"I came to tell you something, something that I've been meaning to say, but never quite had the chance or the courage."_

A brief silence allowed the wind to breeze past them both.

"_Layla, I … maybe we…" _Sora took a deep breath focusing. _"What if … What if I told you that … that I love you?"_

Somehow it didn't have the earth shattering impact Layla was expecting, and the way it made her feel was awkward. But when she thought about it, this was her most precious friend confessing her most heart-felt feelings, which seemed to have been repressed for a long time. It made her heart jump in the same way her mother's reassurance had and her father's apology.

"_I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear," _Sora apologized. She felt relieved, finally having said that, and now found the courage to unveil everything. _"It's ironic really. When I realized this for myself, it was the night of the accident. The moment I fell during the performance, I felt like I had sprouted wings and could fly anywhere, nothing was a burden to me anymore."_

Layla didn't allow herself to imagine that moment. That, like everything up to now had been her fault and the horror overshadowed the confession she had just received. Something nagged at her mind, something wasn't right.

"_I might have been naive when we first met, but even I understand that my feelings towards you are selfish. That is why I am sorry to have left the world so at peace, smiling to my friends from my deathbed. But I will not let __**you **__take blame for __**my **__longing."_

Layla couldn't respond. Would it even matter now that she was supposedly dead_? "I don't know what to say …"_

"_You could tell me how you feel about me."_

"_Sora, I … we might have … maybe …"_

"_That's all I need to know," _the girl said standing up walking towards the haze. _"It doesn't matter now anyway, but at least I know and I will remember this and you for as long as it is allowed."_

"_Wait! Where are you going?" _Layla yelled after her. Not Sora, too.

"_It's over." _said a voice that belonged to Cathy. She stood there, behind Layla leaning on the dried up tree. _"Time for the band to play and the credits to roll." _Her voice, along with her shape also started moving away from Layla. _"And in your case it's time for the final curtain to fall."_

Layla was lost. Everyone said those comforting words to her, but they still left her all alone. **Why is everybody going away? This doesn't make sense. **

"_Come back! Why are you leaving me here?"_

If this had been her end, then why did she not feel any closure, but an ever stronger urge to get up? Was the tease of happiness followed by absolute isolation her actual punishment?

**Unless … **

Layla couldn't finish the thought. In front of her in the instant she blinked, stood her mother, father and Sora.

"_Layla I'm sorry," _said Richard

"_Layla I forgive you," _continued Rola

"_Layla I love you," _finished Sora.

"_I'm sorry. I forgive you. I love you" _theyall said in turn, over and over, until it was indiscernible who was saying what, and soon it all sounded like a hellish chant. The constant repetition made her head spin, and then the words simply became sounds. Was there no way out? Nothing made sense here.

It was then that she realized it. Layla finally understood, and it filled her with anger- this purgatory was of her own making. She was the cause of it all.

"_Show yourself!" _she screamed, ignoring the people she had torn her heart over just a minute ago. They were nothing but shadowy figures in the sunlight.

"_Come out you coward, I know you can hear me!" _she continued looking around her, knowing this time what she was looking for. This was what she had forgotten from the beginning, what kept her ignorant through all of this.

"_I understand now. Do you hear me? I understand! What they've said so far, are things that I've always wanted to hear from them, things I knew that I might never hear, but still wished for! And you used that to get to me! How dare you!"_

The three figures vanished before she finished the sentence.

"_I've uncovered your plans. Now show yourself coward!"_

While Layla had managed to escape her daze, and realize that everything had been just a terrible nightmare from the start, the haze did not lift. Nothing had changed in this hell of her own making, except for her understanding of it.

"_Took you long enough," _the voice said. Layla knew she should have recognized the voice from the beginning, but was too overwhelmed. The associated body and face also appeared. _"And so we meet again," _Sora said.

Layla knew for certain, this was not her friend. It was a lie. None of the people she had spoken to had been there, and that she had not died.

"_You!" _she said. _"Do you think it's funny appearing like this?"_

"_What's the problem? You don't seem to have any grudges against the girl; I don't think you feel any kind of repulsion towards this body either… in fact," _the image of Sora purred with a deep, teasing voice.

"_You sick piece of filth," _Layla lashed out, but her demonic phantasm seemed more preoccupied with grooming the body it now occupied, looking for any imperfections in her nails.

"_You'd do anything to get at me, wouldn't you? Grant me the apologies of my father, the reassurance of my dead mother and even fake the affections of my dearest friend. How much lower will you go?"_

Sora still seemed uncaring, now checking her new body out, not even looking at her enraged victim. _"I don't know, I haven't thought of anything interesting yet. To be honest, I'm quite surprised you figured it out. You're crazy and daring even in your own madness."_

She finished, and looked at Layla with a playful expression. _"This does leave me in a tight spot. I have no clue what will get to you now. Hmm… maybe I should show you how your friend could have died being because you." _

Instead of begging for it to stop, Layla smirked leaving her tormentor wondering. _"I'm glad you're not Sora, because I'd never tell her this."_

"_And what might that be? Your eternal love confession?"_

"_Go to hell."_

A silence followed shortly after. It didn't liked being played around with, but Layla didn't seem to be backing down anytime soon, so she resorted to just humor her for a bit longer.

"_An interesting proposition, but if I go, then you'll be there way sooner."_

Nothing more was to be said from Layla. Now all there was left was to keep her concentration; she dare not let this happen again.

"_Why are you honestly still trying? Haven't you accepted the fact that you'll die here? You've been out here for how many days? You haven't drunken or eaten something in all this time. You may believe what you will live for now, but you know the inevitable will come soon enough with or without my help."_

Seeing as Layla was ignoring her, Sora imposter vanished, but not before giving her one final word.

"_But I do intend to shatter what's left before that happens._

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have never written anything in this style. Should I still find the time to write another story after I complete this one then someone from Kaleido Star is going to Silent Hill! :P

Please leave your review, thoughts, criticism and thoughts. Also don't forget to leave your thanks along with mine to **Falling Awake **for proofreading.

Again I hope you enjoyed this slightly different kind of chapter that will ideally leave you a bit shaken and curious for more.

Note: Funny that this turned out to be the 13th chapter. What an odd coincidence.


	14. Chapter 14

"_Hellooo … Earth to Sora."_ said a cup of cheap coffee with no sugar.

"_Hmm … what?"_ the girl replied. _"Oh, right, thanks Mia."_

"_What are you thinking about?"_

"_Who me? Nothing just … silly… unimportant things."_

Mia looked at her friend with a knowing smirk, who barely put an effort in hiding her concerns.

"_Still worried?"_

Sora sighed. _"I'm just … nevermind."_

"_Come now, you can tell me," _Mia said trying to find a place next to Sora. _"Scoot over, that log looks comfy."_

Shoulder to shoulder, the two could share some warmth while enjoying a cup of coffee and looking at the small fire they had set up. This new vantage point gave them renewed hope, but also new problems.

A supply line had to be maintained to keep them stocked on fuel, parts, and well rested searchers. Back at Paddy's, Ken was left in charge of making sure everyone was following a tight schedule. It still wasn't fully efficient, as Sora found herself at the new camp doing nothing. But there always had to be someone present in case anyone else runs into trouble. Waiting here while her friends did most of the work was not something she was comfortable with, but everyone had to play their part. Still, Sora felt no one wanted to find her friend as much as she did.

"_Proost." _Mia said, toasting with her friend.

Both took a sip of their hot drinks. A little bit of warmth could go a long way in the nighttime freezer they found themselves in quickly as the sun retired for the night.

"_I couldn't sleep during the day," _Sora started after a short while.

"_I know. I can't keep you from worrying anyway; you'll just have to go on coffee till we find Layla."_

"_Mia, I'm past worried; I'm starting to get scared. What if we don't find her? Or what if we find something…?"_

"_Don't you think it's a bit late to think about that?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Look at us. We're equipped to the teeth. Look at that," _Mia said pointing towards the compass which was around Sora's neck. _"Look at the maps, the cars. Heck, look at Jabir over there fixing the searchlight."_

The African man hearing his name looked questioningly at the girls, wondering if they needed something.

"_No no, don't worry, we were just appreciating your help." _Mia gave a thumbs up. _"You the man."_

Jabir did the same in response. It was so weird that they couldn't verbally communicate, yet here they were working together.

"_See, if anyone is prepared and determined enough for this, it's definitely us. So you can be worried and you might get scared, but the one thing you need to be is ready."_

"_I suppose you are right."_

They took another sip.

"_This coffee tastes horrible," _Sora remarked.

"_Yeah."_

The friendly silence was quickly interrupted when a muffled voice started to come from one of the girls.

"_Is that the radio?" _Sora asked.

"_You mean the walkie-talkie? Yeah. Do you have it on you?"_

"_I don't know. I can't feel anything through these clothes," _She replied as they both frantically searched their pockets and layers of clothing.

"_Wait! Here it is," _Mia said pulling out the device.

Static interfered with the transmission._"Group One to Ca… Two. Group One… Camp Two. Over." _

"_Camp Two. Mia speaking. Paddy?"_

"_Yes. We… run into some troub… Over. Require s… assistance. O...r." _

At that point, someone else's voice cut in and by the angry tone, it was probably May arguing with Paddy. _"Didn… I tell you to turn left … avoid that!? It's not my fault you …ldn't guide me out of there. I said to MY le…" _More scrambling followed. _"We. ..ve the same left."_

Mia quickly cut in, tired of hearing their argument_. "Copy. Me and Jabir will be there shortly."_

"_Roger."_

"_Never a dull moment," _Mia noted.

"_Shouldn't I also go with you?"_

"_Nah, don't worry, we'll be fine. Someone has to always be at camp though in case something happens. You think you'll be ok alone until we get back?"_

"_Yeah, no problem" _Sora reassured her friend. _"The others will arrive shortly."_

"_Be safe until then."_

"_You too."_

"_Ok Jabir, mount up, it's time to drive."_

"_Drai-weh?" _the man asked making a wheel turning gesture.

"_Yes, drive. Vroom! Vroom!"_

Soon after, Mia and Jabir drove off, leaving Sora alone for the first time since arriving to this magnificent land. Now all her thoughts of worry could manifest. Even with Mia's reassurance she knew they were running out of time. While the searching area was getting narrower by the day, nature was not on their side.

Rumbling was heard throughout the day. The rainy season Paddy had explained would make their chances of finding Layla close to zero. Sora looked to the West and saw the massive body of clouds that had been lingering around them, as if it was waiting for the right time to strike. If it was indeed the grand storm she had been told about, it would make driving the plains impossible thus making things almost impossible for the ground crew. And the only airborne help in the area were the public ones which could only assist after they had confirmed a find.

Sora paused her worrying for a moment to admire the sky and the stars. The moon was hidden somewhere between the storm clouds so everything had gotten dark quick. The stars however were not yet all covered and sparkled brilliantly. Sora turned away however, it wasn't time to let down her guard. Animals could still be prowling the area even if most were fearful of humans. Sora walked over to the toolbox where the faulty searchlight had been left waiting for further repair. On it Mia had left the radio which she picked up and put in her pocket in case someone contacts the camp. There wasn't much left here anyway. Most of the canisters had no more fuel and there was hardly anything edible left. The next car from Paddy's camp would bring more supplies tonight. Sora put the three lanterns on higher tree stumps so they could illuminate the perimeter better. She also picked up a flashlight. If nothing else she could clobber something with it in self-defense.

"_Sora_!" called out a voice in the darkness, sending the girl's heartbeat racing a million miles per second.

She immediately turned around and turned on her flashlight. To her relief, it was a familiar face.

"_Phew! Thank God it's only you Fool. You scared me for a moment there."_

"_Listen …" _the spirit said panting as if he had been running across the plains with only his tiny legs to carry him.

"_And just where have you been in the past days? I only saw you floating around a few times."_

"_Will you listen?" _Fool yelled still a bit out of breath. _"Something has happened. I think it was Layla."_

"_What? Layla? Did you find her?"_

Fool tried to find the right words for his information.

"_I've … felt Layla. I think I heard her mind. You see, yesterday night and today, I've been getting these strange thoughts which were like weak whispers in my ear. I just thought it was the heat or the distance away from the stage, but now I understand that it might have been Layla all along."_

"_How is that possible? I thought you couldn't reach her after she ceased to see you."_

"_Yes, that's what I thought, but she reached out this time. It's not like the first time, it's much weaker. I'm guessing she's having strong memories of her past and the stage and possibly you. I don't know what is happening to give her such strong thoughts that I could hear. It has never happened to me before, but just now before I arrived here, I could for a split second hear her clearly. I think … I think she said your name."_

Sora stood for a bit, processing the information she had just received. Her heart was racing and her eyes widened, all her senses sharpened in an instant along with a shiver coursing her entire body.

"_So that means … that … she's alive. Fool, she's alive!" _Sora shouted overjoyed.

Fool didn't look as joyful. _"And suffering. The thoughts I picked up were too deranged to understand."_

Sora's enthusiasm was cut short.

"_You must find her Sora!" _Fool said anticipating what state Layla was in.

"_But how can …"_

"_Instead of letting Layla reach us, we will reach out to her. __**You**__ will contact her."_

"_How am I supposed to do that?" _

"_Through me. I will act as a conduit for both your and her thoughts. Here's what you have to do. You will have to try and focus all the memories you have of her and the stage. Do not under any circumstance let your mind wander. I don't know if we can get another shot. Understood?"_

Sora thought about it for a moment. Before her was a ghost of a clown offering her a chance to read the mind of a dear friend that had been lost in the great plains of the South African wilderness. But then she remembered that it was she and this very special friend who also defied gravity in front thousands of people, so maybe this was a step down as far as possibilities go. Afterall, they defeated fear of death once already. **Focus Sora! Focus!**

"_Yes." _she said determined and took a few deep breaths.

"_Are you ready?" _the spirit asked only once to which she only nodded once in response. _"Good. Here, take my mask, it will channel your thoughts and enhance your memories."_

Sora received the tiny mask in the palm of her hand which she covered with her other hand almost in a praying gesture.

This was Fool's gamble. Something similar happened with Rosetta when she lost her ability to see him, but now the situation was different and much more dire.

For a moment, Sora didn't feel anything, but before she could allow a small thought of doubt creep up, a wave of memories coursed through her mind. The images and emotions were so vivid they could be mistaken for reality, and Sora felt how she was in control of this wave. It was difficult to try and link all these thoughts, but just then Fool's influence was felt and after another short moment of absolute silence, all Sora could do was whisper one word.

"_Layla"_

In an instant, all the memories she had with her beloved friend surfaced and played out in perfect order of their happening at a phenomenal speed. Despite their urgency, Sora was aware of every last detail, because despite the pressure of the situation and the sheer power of the moment, **this **was everything that Layla was to her, the culmination of all the feelings and thoughts she had ever had towards the other girl. Everything was shown, from the first time Sora saw Layla on television, to their first meeting at the audition, all the way to their shows together and against each other, even until their last phonecall.

In that moment the night lit up as the moon's rays found a place to shine through the dense clouds, and it was then that Sora opened her eyes. But what she saw was not with her own eyes- she was now seeing the world through Layla's. Sora could even hear her breathe for a moment and saw how Layla was looking up at the moon, which had appeared through the thick clouds.

Soon Layla lowered her vision, and Sora saw how Layla's arms trembled, how she was laying on the ground somewhere beneath broken trees, and how twisted pieces of metal were in front of her.

It was then that she knew.

Sora now opened her own eyes and gasped for air, this experience leaving her breathless. Fool was nowhere to be found, but Sora suspected he also felt where Layla was located like she just did. It was all so clear to her now and before she could think of anything else she ran off into the darkness.

It was amazing how close they had come, but it would have taken another day and night to reach the area she was in. So she just ran. Waiting for the others to regroup was impossible, she just had to go there **now**. Her heart raced while she gave it her all. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she pushed herself at the thought of finding Layla. The flashlight in her hand shook, as it gave just enough light to brighten up the way before her.

Sora didn't care about the potential danger she was running into, Paddy's warnings were the last thing on her mind. All she could think of was getting to Layla as fast as her legs could carry her, a path clear in her heart. The moon was generous to guide her for a while, before it was covered up by the clouds again, but that didn't stop Sora. She still knew where to go and where to tread, because this was the same route Layla took days before.

In the corner of her peripheral vision, she saw two headlights in the distance which was probably one of the search groups looking for her after they arrived at the empty camp. Her walkie-talkie buzzed and muffled voices came through. Even though she was impressed by their quick action, she couldn't stop, not now. Her legs had lost almost all the feeling in them as the pain was drowned in the desire to finally find and rescue Layla.

After running and running, Sora couldn't take anymore and had to rest. After a few minutes of rest, Sora took off again. Finally she slowed down a bit now as she reached a group of trees which had been broken, and there were the metal pieces scattered on the ground. Sora couldn't help but wonder what had happened here, and how Layla managed to survive it.

Using her flashlight, she frantically searched the area for Layla, but it was just too dark. It didn't look good at all, and Sora's hope was beginning to fade. Sora tried to calm down and walked around the area carefully. Slowly, she approached a particularly mangled tree, and lying still and unmoving beneath it, was Layla.

Sora quickly made her way to the blonde, and checked to see if Layla was still alive. An explosion of relief coursed through her, to find that her friend had just passed out.

Despite finding her former-partner, and the immense pain in her lungs, legs and ribs after running who know how long, Sora couldn't relax just yet. She quickly grabbed the radio and got in touch with the search group.

"_Hello, this is Sora, can anyone hear me? I've found Layla. I repeat, I've found her."_

"_Anna here from Camp two. Where are you?"_

Sora now realized she didn't even know where she had been running to, but she looked at her compass and figured out the direction.

"_I'm South – Southwest. Send in someone to pick us up now!"_

"_Copy that. I'll relay the message."_

After that everything became silent. Sora hoped that help would come fast. Everyone knew what they had to do, because they had been waiting for this moment. Groups based on land would try to reach them now in case the airborne help would take too long. The supply line would now be cut and everyone should remain in position until further news reached them.

Sora put her radio back into her pocket and returned her attention to Layla. She placed her hand on her friend's cheek and felt how cold it was. Sora immediately took off her hoodie and covered Layla with it, but deciding that wouldn't help too much, Sora considered embracing her for warmth. But just as she was about to, Layla opened her eyes stopping Sora dead in her tracks.

The blonde looked blankly then wondered. **Why is Sora on her knees before me?** She then remembered what had happened before and only gave a moan of displeasure before closing her eyes. She would not fall for the same tricks again. As real as everything appeared to be, Layla refused to buy into the illusions.

"_Layla? Are you alright? Help is on the way so just hang in there a bit longer."_

Surprised to see her tormentor try a similar routine again, Layla could only sneer slightly. She could barely move at this point, but managed to speak in very weak voice. Sora bent down closer, realizing Layla was trying to say something.

"_I … thought …" _she spoke slow and fragmented _"I … told you to … that … I never want … to see you again."_

Sora's eyes widened and she felt like she had just been stabbed, but the look in Layla's eyes hurt more than her words. The brilliant sharp blue shine was nothing more than a smeared reflection. In that gaze was more than just exhaustion, fear was deeply ingrained, as was hatred and pain.

Sora realized that Layla went through a lot more than what was apparent and desperately tried to keep her going.

"_Please, Layla…" _Sora implored grabbing her friend's shoulders trying to shake her out of it _"Don't give up, not now!" _Tears now started flowing. _"I've come too far to let it end like this! We'll make it back together, ok?"_

Layla now cried tears of her own, but for different reasons. She had been through this before so many times and only wished for release at this point. She was just too tired to fight anymore, and resigned herself to her fate. There was nothing more to gain from this defiance. Her heart felt heavy, and she grabbed her tormentor's hand. It was warm and soft like it belonged to an angel and for all she knew that might just be true. She made her final request.

"_Please … just let me die."_

Sora could only stare, too shocked to move, but just as she regained herself enough to say something, a distant noise brought her to her feet. She stood up and saw help finally arriving from above. Somehow the vague directions she gave paid off, and she waved her flashlight into the air.

The bright searchlights blinded the two girls as the helicopter circled for a bit. After a few moments, someone roped down from it. He informed Sora that the brush was too thick, and that they would have to put the girl into the stretcher to be airlifted back to camp. Soon afterwards, the stretcher was brought down on the line.

"_Quick she's over here!" _Sora yelled with the helicopter in the background.

"_Miss, you'll have to help me strap your friend in," _the man explained.

They dragged the stretcher next to the broken trees and the rescuer assessed the blonde's condition.

"_Her legs are badly injured," _he said _"You grab her by the arms and let's lift her up in 'three'. Ready?"_

Sora nodded with tears still on her face. She trusted the man to know how to lift Layla's injured legs without causing her too much pain.

To Layla, the bright lights seemed like her ascension to the afterlife was beginning, but before she could let herself become overwhelmed, she heard the new voice talk again.

"_One. Two. Three."_

Layla cried out in pain and Sora tried her best to sooth her, but nothing helped.

The straps that secured Layla made her shed a few more tears, but then she was ready to be hoisted. As Sora and the rescuer moved the stretcher into a more open area, Layla got a glimpse of the dark sky above as it was lit and torn up by lightning. Something was about to begin and Layla knew it. Ominous rumblings and thunder sounded like the heavens were opening up to accept her. She felt one cold drop of rain on her cheek before the storm started. Then she was hoisted together with the man and placed inside.

Sora looked anxious at the whole process as she stood in the rain, before she was also raised into the helicopter after the man came down a second time.

Inside the helicopter, two other men were already at work treating Layla. One was checking her pupils and other vital signs, while the other one administered pain relievers.

Layla couldn't grasp her surroundings as they moved sickeningly fast. But from what she could piece together, it looked like she was being rescued. Someone flashed a light in both her eyes and there was this slight prick she felt in her arm. Her pain started to fade away and then she saw Sora's face again moving in a blur like everything else but she felt tears dripping on her face.

She tried to reach out, but her arm was held back by the restraints.** Why are you crying? Aren't you happy that you were right? Why are you mourning my death? **She couldn't understand just what was happening to her and why the voices were talking in such a weird tone. She gave up trying to make sense of it and began to believe that this was how her Jacob's ladder looked like.

As the effects of the pain relievers kicked in fully, Layla's vision blurred into a bright white. _"She's passing out." _was the last thing she could hear and whether anyone could hear it or not Layla said with what little strength she had left.

"_**Thank you."**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

Here it finally is. I'm sorry for taking so long. With this chapter Layla and Sora's storylines are finally beginning to mergeso keep an eye out for future updates.

Big round of thanks to your favorite proofreader and mine **Falling Awake**.

Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review.


	15. Chapter 15

_"Excuse me, where can I find room 302?"_ she asked.

A short woman mopping the floor, turned to her, but it was clear she couldn't understand the stranger.

The woman quickly got out a pen and scribbled the numbers onto her palm and showed it to the girl.

_"Here, 302. This is where I need to get to."_

The cleaning woman understood now and made some gestures indicating the location, but before the woman could say anything, she began to lead the way. The size of the building was impressive and soon they were headed up and up. Finally after walking through a long, dark hallway to the other side of the complex, they had arrived.

_"Thank you," the_ woman said girl simply smiled, nodded once and left in a hurry.

Left alone, she continued walking along until she began to hear some voices at the end of the corridor. As she took the final turn, the first to notice her was Mia.

_"Cathy!?"_

Everyone saw her then. It was amazing how so many people could fit in the narrow hallway and keep relatively quiet. Cathy now realized just how many people had participated in Layla's search and rescue. There were the usual suspects Ken, May Rosetta and the others but also a lot of faces she didn't immediately recognize. Some she identified as regulars from the stage, but there were also a few natives and one gruff-looking older man.

_"How'd you find us?"_ Rosetta asked, surprised at the older woman's presence.

_"And when did you arrive?"_ Anna added.

_"Richard, I mean Layla's father told me. He'll also be arriving in a few hours. I caught the last plane so he'll probably have to take his own. But that's beside the point. Where is ..."_

_"In there. Sora's with her,"_ cut in the older man. He didn't even turn to look in her direction, thoughts clearly elsewhere. _"I'd appreciate it if you stopped causing so much commotion."_

_"Sorry."_ Cathy lowered her voice and went to greet the man, whom to her resembled some kind of Indiana Jones wannabe.

_"Taymor, Cathy. Nice to meet you." _she said as extended her hand to Paddy.

Paddy shook it, finally giving in to allhe wasn't upset with her, but with himself. For hours now, he had been waiting, standing in much the same position, to be let in and see the damage for himself. Noticing the tension, a young African man then jumped in.

_"Hello, I'm Thulani, Paddy's assistant. Are you a friend of Layla's?" _

_"Paddy..."_ Cathy remarked not having been given his name directly. _"Yes, I'm her friend and probably the one to blame for trip in the first place. Now I don't mean to be rude, but may I go in and see her?"_

"_They said no more than one person in the room for the moment, so you can take a peek,"_ said May who was stretching having sat for too long.

And that's what Cathy did. But as she ever so slightly opened the door, Sora had already turned around on the chair she was sitting on. She smiled warmly to Cathy and put her finger against her lips indicating not to make any noise. Cathy nodded and looked to the bed and saw Layla asleep.

As Cathy looked over Layla's body, she couldn't help but smile softly. She had expected tubes and wires, casts and maybe a heart monitor beeping. There had been done a lot to her legs however, as that area bulged a bit from under the bed sheets. But Layla looked surprisingly well. She seemed peaceful as she rested, and that finally calmed the brunette a little, who had been expecting the worst. Still, Cathy felt a slight pang of guilt, one she had sworn not to reveal. She winked to Sora as she headed towards the door, closing it with hardly a sound. She walked back to where the people she knew from the stage sat.

_"What __**happened**__?"_

Everyone looked at each other not knowing where to begin, but Mia finally met her questioning gaze.

_"Basically Layla had gotten herself into some trouble, so we gathered all we could to find her. We found her before the rain started… well Sora did in the end."_

_"It's always Sora,"_ Cathy said smirking.

_"After that…"_ Ken continued, _"We gathered up all our supplies and ended the search. Layla was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, but before we had a chance to catch up, she and Sora had already been taken by jet to this big place in Cairo. Apparently Mr. Hamilton arranged this. Finally we've arrived, and ever since then, we've been waiting."_

_"So … __**how **__did it happen?"_ she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

_"We don't know."_ May was quick to answer. _"I was in the group that was close to the site and when we heard what had happened we decided to go and investigate."_

_"And? What did you see?"_

May was reluctant to answer, because quite honestly it frightened her. It was easier to deny and ignore the evidence at the scene, even though it was most likely what Paddy had told her and Rosetta. May turned her head, trying to push the images away. Rosetta put a reassuring hand on May's back and continued for her friend.

_"It was a mess. There was torn metal everywhere, trees knocked down, supplies strewn about, huge tracks of dirt in the ground-"_

_"Does it matter?"_ Paddy interrupted. He already knew what had happened as soon as he saw the wreckage. That, along with the tell-tale foot prints and tusk marks of a giant beast gave it away.

_"All that matters is that she's safe," _he reasoned. He then looked to her with a glare so aggressive, yet somewhat vulnerable at the same time.

Cathy picked up on his expression, and dropped the issue. There were very few moments in her life when she felt bad for being her insistent self and this was one of them. She didn't want to know either, and by Paddy's expression she understood the delicacy of this matter. Until Layla willingly told them, no one present would bring it up. Everyone knew that she had suffered enough.

_"You're right. I apologize for being insensitive. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment."_

_"Where are you going?"_ Mia asked pondering whether or not to follow her friend and mentor.

_"Just for some fresh air," _Cathy replied as she disappeared down the hallway.

Paddy meanwhile, was staring blankly at the numbers 302 on the door as if he wanted to imprint this image on his retinas; it would always remind of his mistake. He knew not to take all the blame, because in the end Layla acted according to her own will. But he knew what the consequences were to begin with, and if he had been more careful, this whole situation could have been avoided.

The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt. For the first time, he really got to look at all of the people who were willing to sacrifice their time and energy, and possibly their own lives just to save one person. These people really cared for the injured actress. And the more ashamed he began to feel, the angrier he got at himself for being so naïve.

Because when Layla woke up, he wasn't sure how he would react. Surely she wouldn't blame him, if anything it would be the other way around, right?

He mumbled quietly to himself, and continued to stare at 302.

Meanwhile Cathy had found a spot to calm down. A fire escape provided her with all the fresh air she could want, but she sought this place for an additional reason. Before she left for Africa she bought a pack of slim menthol cigarettes. Since she came here basically blind to the situation, she suspected that she might need some help to calm her nerves.

But now on this private little balcony which she had found and probably wasn't allowed to be in the first place, she wanted to indulge herself a bit since Layla was apparently alright. Cathy knew that smoking was a bad habit, and she worked quite hard to not give in on every opportunity. Life in showbiz was fast paced and styles and trends always changed along with herself, but cigarettes always seemed to stick with her through the years.

Layla however, played a big role ever since the two of them started working together, eventually leading them to being the close friends that they were now. Layla never even said a thing about her habit, but she was an excellent role model and while the age difference was obvious, Cathy had learned much from Layla, especially about striving for the very best without giving up. This in turn made Cathy want to also give her all. And without even trying, Layla had convinced Cathy to give up the bad habit…for the most part.

It was just, that in this case, this once- Cathy had no choice but to expect the worst. And upon seeing Layla sleeping safe and sound after everything, she didn't actually need a smoke. She was calm, but felt the urge to smoke anyway. Maybe it had been the anticipation, or maybe it had been the wait. Knowing she had a pack made her constantly aware of it. In flight she even caught herself tapping on the pack through her pocket.

But just as she got the little box out of its transparent wrapper, and read the warning -which always amused her for some reason- and put a cigarette between her lips, it struck her that she didn't have a lighter. It must have been one of life's little jokes on the producer.

Just as she was about to take the stick out of her mouth, there was a click, and a flame appeared before her. She leaned towards the flame and let it catch, before inhaling and slowly exhaling out a puff of smoke.

_"Thank you," _Cathy said, as she moved her hair back to see just who was with her.

Standing a few feet away from her, stood a man in his mid 40's wearing a white lab coat and dark trousers. He then flicked the lighter again, and Cathy watched as the wind tried vainly to put it out. Nevertheless the cigarette in his own mouth lit.

_"It's windproof,"_ said the man with no discernable accent.

Cathy gave a short nod, waiting for the man to continue.

_"You know that standing here is prohibited right?"_ the man asked casually.

_"I guess you do, too,"_ Cathy joked knowing that he could have her thrown out at any minute.

_"Indeed,"_ the man laughed softly. _"I'm guessing you're not from around here."_

_"Visiting ..."_

_"I don't mean to be too forward- striking up a conversation, but it's so rare here to have someone to talk to in plain old English."_

_"Inundated by accents?"_

_"Ah, beautiful pronunciation,"_ the man said blowing a puff of smoke which was immediately swept away by the wind.

Cathy laughed, her worry having been dissolved for the time being.

_"What is that, New York?" _he asked referring to her slight accent.

_"It wears off on you."_ Cathy said with a smirk.

"True, but it's still a nice change."

Both of them lapsed into silence as they continued to smoke. Cathy turned to look out into the city of Cairo and was taken by how beautiful it was. It had tall buildings like New York, but it was vastly different, more exotic and less condensed together.

_"I said I would quit smoking. Such a bad habit," _mused Cathy out loud.

_"For the most part that's true, but on rare occasions it can be helpful," _her companion said tiredly.

Cathy looked at him seeing how her statement backfired. She couldn't even begin to imagine what difficult, if not heart-pounding moments this man probably goes through on a daily basis. To see people on the brink of death come in and be put into his care, this guy probably needed a cigarette more than anyone. But she didn't want to leave him hanging on that thought so she tried to lighten the mood.

_"Are you telling me to smoke, doctor?"_

The medic chuckled and put his cigarette back in his mouth and extended a hand.

_"Ted Hatcher, resident saw-bones."_

_"Cathy Taymor, screenwriter and producer,"_ Cathy replied, shaking his hand in such a friendly manner as if they could've been great friends years ago.

_"So you're here for a friend, family??_

_"Co-woker, actor… yeah friend."_

_"Actor, huh?"_ the man pondered knowingly. _"You wouldn't be a friend of the woman they rescued... What was the name ... Hamilton?"_

_"I be."_ Cathy answered.

_"Oh boy. I gotta tell you ..."_ he said taking a deeper drag and letting it out slowly, building up tension.

_"What?"_ Cathy asked straightening her posture.

_"I wasn't the guy who treated her, but I was there when they did. Those injuries ... not a pretty sight."_

Cathy didn't say anything, thinking that perhaps certain parts were omitted from her. Her eyes pleaded with the medic, and he quickly tried to calm her.

_"Don't get me wrong, she'll be fine."_

Cathy exhaled, but did not smile.

_"Your friend was given the best treatment possible. I heard her father had something to do with that as well. Just … that from a subjective point of view, I don't know how she held out. You don't see many injuries like that. It's like something tried to break her legs and failed, but kept at it. Judging by the bruises from her injuries, what ever it was tried pretty damn hard. Tibia and tendons, too … pretty messed up. I'm sorry if I'm being blunt should I stop?"_

_"No it's alright,"_ she said making half a waving gesture so that he would continue.

_"Honestly, if I had been in her place I don't know if I could have endured that. Also deprived of water and food for quite a while. And on top of that, exposed to the African sun unprotected. Her body is amazingly tolerant."_

Cathy smirked slightly and looked out into the city once again. _"You don't know Layla. Takes more than that to break her."_

_"I suppose, but I don't think she was far from that point. Tell me Cathy; can I call you, Cathy?"_ She nodded. _"Do you like animals?"_

_"As much as the next person I guess," _answered Cathy, unsure where this conversation was headed.

_"Personally I adore them. They are such remarkable creatures, some of them so resilient. Say … have you ever witnessed dog-birth?"_

An awkward silence settled, one that was usually backed up by crickets. Ted saw her giving him a quizzical look, so he quickly continued.

_"It can happen that a newborn pup can still have fluids in his lungs after birth… And sadly, some of them slowly choke to death. But it's amazing to see them fight for a chance and definitely a sight to behold when one of those little bundles turns pink and start to yelp."_

He took another breath of smoke, before looking out into the city.

"_Here in Africa, not so much Cairo, I've had the opportunity to see all kinds of wildlife, and to me, animals are pretty amazing. When injured, animals sometimes can seem weak as all hope is lost, but when backed into a corner, they can surprise you. I've seen even the smallest creature bear wounds a lot of people couldn't stand, myself included… At times I wish a lot of my patients were like that too… Suffering is such a strong emotion in people."_

Cathy didn't know what to say really. Weird as the subject may seem, it probably made a lot of sense from his point of view. She also began to wonder if he always had conversations like this.

_"What I like most is seeing them recover so quickly. It's almost a miracle..."_

_"I have no idea where you're going with this, Ted."_

_"Well, what I was trying to say, I guess, is that seeing your friend it kinda' reminded me of that. Like that puppy who came back from the brink of death, or an injured animal with that one last fighting breath._

_To us, who live our days in a physically secure environment we rarely see that fighting spirit anymore. It's so primal, yet I think any living creature can understand it… like a natural instinct. You know if I didn't know any better, I'd say she has the will of a lion, the heart of one if you will."_

_"Heart of a lioness?"_ said Cathy as a large smile began to form. If there had ever been any words that could describe Layla, those might just have been them. She was strong, tended to be quite fierce, and for most of her life, even had a golden mane. She had to chuckle at that thought.

"_I like that." _She said, as if approving the title for a play.

Their rather interesting, if not bizarre conversation was brought to an abrupt ending as the doctor's pager went off.

_"So much for my break. Well duty calls,"_ said Ted as he squished the last bit of his cigarette against the railing.

_"Nice talking to you, Ted."_

_"I'll probably be taking over for my colleague later, and do checkup on Ms. Hamilton. Good bye."_

The doctor left and closed the door behind him, leaving Cathy alone again.

She waited a little while longer and soon found her way back in to the hallways of the building. At the first sight of a trash can, Cathy took out the pack of cigarettes and tossed them in. She didn't think she'd need them anymore.

As she returned to the main corridor she unexpectedly bumped into Paddy, who came out from the men's room. There was an awkward silence between the two whilst Paddy was slowly and quite gently closing the door behind him.

**Well this is weird,** thought Cathy. _"Heading back?"_

_"Yes." _answered the tour guide.

They began walking back towards the waiting room. No more than a minute later, Paddy who was unable to take the silence, began to speak.

_"Miss, I'm sorry for making you feel unwelcomed. I know the thing Layla needs the most at the moment are friends like you. But ..."_

_"You feel partially at fault, right?"_

_"How did you ...?"_

_"I know how you feel."_

Taking Paddy's silence as a cue to continue, Cathy began to explain herself. She hated being serious, but this was as serious as things could get.

_"I practically pushed her out the door to take this trip, thinking it was for her sake. But I'm not so sure of my motivations back then. And when she went missing I panicked. But unlike you, I didn't search for her, I didn't find her, I just ... waited. I know this sounds selfish, but I wanted to find her myself, wanted to be there for her. But in the bigger picture I knew I wouldn't have been any help. I still can't shake that feeling of guilt when I have actively done nothing."_

"_But the thing that matters, is that you're here now, right? But I … I could have stopped it …could have been more careful."_

Paddy began to breathe heavily, and he turned to face away from Cathy in anger.

"_Paddy, tell me. For how long have you known Layla?"_

"_Half an hour, I guess." _

"_So, how then would you know what she's capable of?"_

Paddy considered this, but there was no reason he couldn't have prepared for the worst or at least have left a warning. Cathy continued, feeling the need to explain Layla's personality so Paddy could understand.

"_I've known her for a good while now. I've worked with her, and she's my good friend. But she still surprises me to this day. She's… crazy._"

They laughed; Paddy knew exactly what she meant by that, his short meeting with Layla gave him that same impression. He also realized that they were probably the only two people who were trying to assume blame for what happened to Layla, when there was none to give.

_"Well, guess you're right. Let's do our best to make it up to Layla from now on Ms. Taymor."_

_"Cathy will do." _

And for the first time, they exchanged a genuine smile before rejoining the rest of the group outside room 302. All the occupants of the room seemed to notice the absence of tension between Cathy and Paddy, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Cathy leaned up against a wall where Mia was sitting on the couch.

_"So how did you manage to get here before Layla's father?"_ the girl asked.

_"Well ... what do you think?"_

_"I'm guessing you caught a plane before him."_

_"Nope. Actually yeah, but be more creative than that,"_ she said trying to get Mia to use her imagination.

_"Uhm, he had unfinished work?"_ Mia guessed as if she was giving an uncertain answer to a teacher. Cathy gave an admonishing growl in response.

_"Ok, ok. You caught the first plane you could ever since you heard of the incident, and you just arrived in Cairo?"_

Cathy's answer was to slap herself over the forehead dramatically. _"Why didn't I think of that?"_

_"Wait! No, you couldn't have!" _ They both looked at each other and it was then that Mia noticed the rings under Cathy's eyes, not to mention her less-than fresh overall appearance.

_"You can't be serious. You're telling me that you've waited all that time in JFK, so that you could be on the first plane out once you heard any news of Layla?"_

_"…Yeah,"_ Cathy said feeling stupid now that it was said out loud. It sounded wonderful and the most logical at the time. Thinking on it now, she could have rented a hotel room in Cairo, and could have arrived much sooner.

_"Well, on the bright side I had a really stimulating conversation with the woman doing the nightshift, and probably set a new world record for coffee consumption."_

Mia gave a short laugh and Cathy let out a quiet yawn. Mia guessed that Cathy hadn't slept in over a day. She scooted herself over on the couch and told Cathy to sit. The older woman gladly obliged and before she knew it, was fast asleep, her head resting on Mia's shoulder. At least she wasn't snoring like Anna was, on Mia's other side, who hadn't once been disturbed by the chatter.

Inside room 302, Sora was still sitting loyally next to Layla's bed. She couldn't bring herself to leave the blonde's bedside even though there were plenty of people outside waiting to go in. She hated to be selfish, but part of her wanted to be alone with Layla just like that time after they returned from Binghamton. Sora never got to spend time with Layla exclusively, and even if this situation was less than ideal, she couldn't help but want to stay just like this.

The fire that had driven her to go and search for her dear friend had long been extinguished by tranquil waters. She felt none of the urgency, none of the pressure.

In front of her was her friend, probably her dearest friend who started to shine again in her previous glory. Even now from outside the room, the people who had all contributed to her rescue were radiating a kind of warmth, and she was caught in that feeling; it was almost unreal.

Precise time had lost all its meaning to Sora as she entered this state; it was almost like day dreaming. The only moments when that feeling was interrupted was when her body started to numb, signaling her lack of movement. Still, it didn't take long for her to regain her calm state.

By the time the doctors and nurses removed the major medical equipment off Layla, Sora had been the only one waiting for the verdict since the rest of the rescue team had not yet arrived. But as soon as Sora was given the positive results, her heart felt like it had sprouted wings. Even if the recovery was predicted to be a challenge, that's all she needed to know. If there was a chance, Layla would take it.

After the others arrived, Sora told them the good news. Everyone was trying to make as little noise as possible since at that time it was only a few hours after midnight. After the nurses set Layla into the hospital bed for the night, the doctor did tell them that only one person should be inside to which everyone else turned to Sora.

And that is where Sora remained ever since then. She knew that it would be a long journey for the former Kaleido Star, but that was fine. If there was even the smallest chance of a full recovery, Sora knew that Layla would pull through no matter what, but most importantly she wanted to be there with Layla however she could.

Trying not to get ahead of herself, Sora looked at the clock on the wall. Whenever she did this the little hand seemed to jump.

**Cathy arrived around 3pm, **Sora thought. **Have that many hours already passed?**

This feeling was so alien, yet comfortable to her. Back home at Kaleido Stage timing was ever so critical. Seconds determined the progression of a show and milliseconds determined whether she would spend the night in the hospital. But now she didn't perceive time like that. That clock only pointed towards numbers, it didn't really tell real time as far as Sora was concerned. But as much as she tried, she could not get her bizarre time thoughts out of her head.

Sora was again brought back to reality as a commotion was heard outside the room. Sora shakily stood up and opened to the door, only to see everyone looking rather displeased.

_"What's wrong?"_ she asked Paddy who was quite audibly and visibly aggravated.

_"What's wrong!? This doctor here is telling us that we can't wait here any longer."_ He then turned to said medic._ "Sir, everyone here has made a great effort to bring you a patient and you are going to kick us out because we're sitting quietly in a hallway?"_

_"I'm sorry but it's standard hospital procedure."_

_"And just how the ..."_

_"Alright gentlemen!" _Cathy interrupted, _"let's take this somewhere else before we really start disturbing people. Everyone let's move for now. Sora you stay behind with Layla."_

She only nodded as the group of almost twenty left. Rosetta remained behind for a bit.

_"Is she alright?"_ the red head asked in such a childish worrywart voice that Sora couldn't help but smile warmly at the overwhelming cuteness.

_"She's still sleeping. Don't worry, everything will be alright, especially because a certain someone kept her eyes open,"_ Sora said tapping Rosetta's nose gently as if she needed point who that certain someone was.

Rosetta didn't really expect that and could only respond with a proud, but silly grin. A little more and she might have turned into a tomato, so before that could happen, Rosetta ran off to rejoin the others_._

Walking to join the others, Rosetta thought, **Did I just coax a response because I can't drop my kid status, like May always tells me?**

**Did I just spoil her as May always says I do? **Sora thought.

**May of all people...**thought both the Chinese girl was more insightful than they gave her credit for, or at least acknowledged, not wanting to blow up her already fully inflated ego.

Quietly, Sora returned to the room, but as she entered, Layla had started moving around. At first Sora thought that her friend was simply tossing in her sleep, so being considerate she closed the door as quietly as she could and made her way back to the chair. However, Layla started showing signs of wakefulness, and Sora hoped that this would finally be it.

Layla at first only felt the soft bed underneath her, and then became aware of her breathing and the sound that it made. She felt her body constricted and incredibly weak. She also had this peculiar sensation of being watched, and as she slowly opened her eyes the world around her took shape. The soft orange glow of dusk made waking up almost pleasant. The first things she saw were two sweet, pale brown eyes, which were slightly watery. Her first instinct was to wipe the unshed tears away.

If Sora had been calm until now, her heart started racing from that very moment. Even with all the mental preparation, she was overtaken the instant those blue eyes stared right back at her.

Gone was the haze from Layla's eyes, gone was the anguish behind the beautiful blue pools. To see this look in her former partner's eyes, a look not of confidence or pride, but of true unaltered emotion, made Sora's heart swell. This is what had kept Sora going during the search. There was probably more to it than that, but for now it was all she could think about as their eyes connected.

More than a little disoriented, the injured blonde scanned the small room trying to piece together what had happened. Her memories were starting to return to her, but this time they were not accompanied by pain or annoying voices.

She remembered the final dream she thought she had; the one where she was either ascending into heaven or going mad. Either way, it had felt so real as she was going up. Suddenly she became defensive and alert.

Was this still another trick, another attempt to break her? The possibility was there, but why didn't her instinct confirm that? Something was telling her that her torment was over. But then again _it_ said that before, too. Her 'friend' Sora was again in front of her, and the look on her face was so genuine and sweet it could have been that of an angel.

_"Layla?"_ Sora asked, unable to bear the silence she willingly had put up with for almost an entire day. _"Are you alright?"_

While Layla had just woken up, her body felt weak, and sleep was trying to pull her back. Yet, she had to make sure this was real. That Sora was real.

_"I ... where am I?"_

Sora was quick to answer, trying to speak as softly and calmly as she could despite her knees shaking.

_"At a hospital in Cairo. We brought you here as soon as we found you."_

She couldn't even think of saying anything else, her knees just wouldn't quit and she had to resist the urge to lunge at Layla for a hug, just to reassure her, a hug that would probably turn her friend a multitude of colors just like in cartoons. Layla still didn't say anything, and Sora felt an uncertain gaze upon her.

"_When we heard … Paddy was a great help. We found you… err… Rosetta spotted some tracks and…the jeep…ah-" _Sora muttered getting so nervous that she was starting to lose control over the language she had studied and spoken for so many years.

The more Layla heard Sora's voice, the more she wanted to believe this was not a trick.

"_Fool helped me, helped me found you, I mean find. You…you were laying on the ground. We got you here as fast as we could."_

Layla's subconscious self was telling her that it was the truth, but she needed to be sure. She wanted to see if this Sora who now had tears in her eyes, was indeed real. She tried to reach out with her right hand, despite it being half-buried under her side.

Sora immediately reached for Layla's hand with both of her own, and hoped that she wouldn't notice that they had become a bit sweaty and shaky as she thought they were.

But to Layla they were warm and comforting. This was different from before, the figments never had this certain warmth; they never felt this real.

"_I found you."_

This time, Layla believed it. It was finally over. This reaffirmation sparked a feeling deep within her chest, one that spread over the entirety of her body as her spirits were lifted. Unfortunately, the girl was just too weak and needed to rest longer. But she knew she couldn't just fall asleep yet.

_"Sora ... I want to tell..."_

_"Yes?"_ the other girl quickly answered. But when she wanted to get closer so that her friend would not have strain herself speaking, she tripped over her own right leg and fell to her knees on the side of the bed, while the rest of her body landed on it, shaking it slightly.

Sora's face was only inches from Layla's, but despite this Layla seemed barely startled, as if it all had happened in slow motion. Seeing those warm brown eyes so wide in surprise was such a priceless expression to Layla, that she gave a wide smile. This was the image she wanted to see last before she went back to sleep.

There was one more thing she wanted to do before that, though.

Maybe it was the relief of surviving, mixed in with the painkillers, coupled with the dizziness of being too fatigued, or perhaps she just couldn't think of a way to express her joy, or maybe she thought that she had already entered the dream, but for whatever reasons Layla managed to conjure up, it all led to one thing.

Layla lifted her head as much as she could to close the gap between their faces, and kissed Sora right on the corner of her mouth. The kiss was short and soft, and afterwards, Layla dropped her head back on to the pillow, and fell asleep with a peaceful smile.

Sora guessed what Layla was trying to convey before falling asleep. She quietly moved back and covered Layla with the bed sheets that had shifted. She found the chair which she had kicked over with her clumsy stunt, and put it back upright. Without making another sound, Sora exited the room and gently closed the door behind her.

Once outside the room, she stiffly slid down to her knees and put her hands to her hot cheeks in shock. **You could have just said thanks!**

She knew she was blushing madly and all of a sudden it was getting too stuffy in here.

**I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding. Layla is tired, she even closed her eyes because she was so tired ... She was probably aiming for my cheek,** Sora thought as she felt the part of her lip which was still a bit moist and tingly from the sensation. Sora wanted to wipe it off, but there was something that kept her from doing it.

Why was she getting so worked up about it? Between friends, innocent kisses on the cheek were common, right? Yes, holding hands, linking arms and touching were quite common- no reason to over-analyze things.

This strange but very welcome emotion reminded her of how she felt when she ate sweets which she wasn't supposed to have as kid. It felt like she had done something wrong, but they tasted too good. It was so worth it. That was an almost perfect analogy she admitted, except ... **Did I just admit to liking the kiss?**

**No no no, you're thinking too much again. This isn't the time for this. When is the time for this? Wait... time for what? What am I thinking?**

Squatting in front of the door certainly hadn't helped to cool her down, so she got up and decided to rejoin the others and let them in on the good news of Layla's short awakening…

…Right after she had calmed down a bit, of course. All Sora could think to do was submerge her face in ice cold water in the wash room. But just as she was hastily turning around the corner, someone was doing the same from the other side, startling her.

Normally Sora wouldn't have reacted so strongly, but in front of her was the father of the friend she had partially kissed only a few moments ago. She quickly drew her hand over her mouth, as if she had to prove she was actually surprised and to prevent any embarrassing outbursts that would disrupt the hospital wing. But her hand covered her lips for an entirely different reason.

Sora quickly wiped away all evidence of what took place between her and Layla a few minutes prior to Richard's arrival. It was almost like wiping cookie crumbs away after being caught red-handed.

Richard too had been visibly startled, but unlike Sora he was very happy to see a reassuring face. He gave a great smile because the girl in front of him was the main reason he even had a daughter to visit in the first place.

He took a brief step forward, not sure what he was going to do and was fighting the overwhelming urge to just give Sora a hug, but the rational and business side of him realized in time just how odd that would have been. So instead he just grabbed Sora's hand, which was lifted in a kind of self defense pose, enforcing the idea of how inappropriate a more physical gesture would have been.

But what Richard didn't know was that Sora had already had her share of Hamilton close encounters for today. Still Richard covered her hand in both of his in a gesture which was as sincere as it was surprising.

_"Thank you. Thank you so much!"_

_

* * *

_

Right so here it is and it's pretty late at the time I am writing this. All I gotta say is everyone should give a big hand to _**Falling Awake**_ for making this chapter even more interesting, not to mention correct.

I apologize for it having taken so long, college is quite busy, but I will try and write as much as I can and every time I recieved a review it got me fired up to write more, but it just seems to take longer since I scrapped several parts of this chapter among other things. But here it is now and I hope you enjoy it.

Oh yeah, before I forget I really recommend people to get Q10 for writing their drafts. It really helped me after writing code to just sit down and write more of this chapter on a black background with lightly-colored fonts. This chapter is the first I wrote using only that and I think it could prove useful to some. There's also an equivalent for the Mac as well as other versions of it on Windows.

But anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, this has I think by far gotten the most work from me and Falling Awake so I hope you all liked it. Leave a review if you did :)


	16. Chapter 16

"So let me get this straight- a panda who does martial arts? Why do you think I would like a movie about that?" May asked angrily as if her intelligence had been obviously insulted.

"Trust me," Anna said. "You'll love it. It's a movie _you_ have to see."

May however would not let herself be convinced of the premise considering it to be just typical Hollywood 'blockbuster' garbage she never gave a damn about. Anna on the other hand was strongly convinced and wouldn't drop the subject.

Rosetta observed the two and silently followed their conversation. The movie sounded like fun, and she considered seeing it for herself. She looked to Mia for some input, but the other girl sat idly watching the blue sky.

After being cooped up in the hallways of the hospital for so long, the four of them had wandered outside to the back, only to be surprised at finding themselves at the entrance to a rather large park. The girls were sitting on one of six old benches which were situated around a fountain. Other members of their large party eventually followed- after basically being kicked out of the hospital for taking up too much space- and soon almost everyone was taking in the serene atmosphere.

The search party took it well though, especially after Sora gave them the good news about Layla's short awakening. Mia, however found that something about Sora was amiss. After all, they were quite close friends and Sora wore her emotions on her sleeve much of the time.

**Maybe the moment was too much for her. But why be so shy about it? Maybe because of Layla's father...**

While she continued musing, everyone else was doing whatever they could to pass the time by either napping on the grass, chatting or walking around. They were careful not to upset the other patients or hospital staff. The fresh air and surprisingly well-kept gardens were quite a treat after such an adventure. It was surprisingly quiet behind the hospital and one could smell the scent of freshly cut grass mixed with flowers.

Thulani on the other hand had his hands full. With the immediate troubles gone, he decided it was a good time to ask a few questions about the Kaleido Stage, and of course about Sora and Layla. In turn, the members of the stage were constantly asking about how it was to live in the wild where danger was everywhere. The conversations were pleasant, a distinct change from just a few hours ago.

Even Paddy seemed to have relaxed. When the hospital staff asked the party to leave, he argued against it, before eventually agreeing and left with everyone else reluctantly. Now he was sitting solitarily at the fountain's edge, staring into the water quietly, the events of the past days forgotten for a moment.

Instead, Paddy began to wonder about Layla's father. The man had thanked each and everyone who had participated in the rescue and even proposed a reward, but everyone declined. He however insisted to cover all the costs and even left a donation to the village Wesley helped oversee. He thought that Richard maybe did it for the publicity; he was after all an important person who had a reputation to maintain. However at the time it didn't seem like that; the smile Richard gave at seeing his daughter safe was too genuine, even if a bit odd.

Paddy knew however, that Layla's father could turn into an uncaring executive son of a bitch whenever he pleased and that annoyed him. Paddy had an immense disliking for that type of two-faced person, but still…** He did raise a kid like Layla.**

_"Hmm..." _Paddy hummed as if he had just remembered something. He ceased to lean on edge of the fountain and stood straight.

_"May? Can I speak to you for a minute?"_

_"Look, I'll watch the damn movie if it's so important to you, okay?"_ the Chinese girl said trying to close the subject that Anna wouldn't drop.

_"May?" _Paddy repeated a bit louder with a slight impatient grunt.

_"Yeah?"_ she turned around not knowing who had called her name, then raised a curious eyebrow seeing that it was the aging guide.

_"Walk with me," _Paddy simply said, walking slowly away from the fountains and benches. It was obvious he wanted a word alone from the rest of the group. The others, including May were suspicious, but she went nonetheless.

_"Wonder what he wants,"_ Rosetta said, voicing the thoughts of everyone around her. And just as Anna was about to suggest following the two, thinking of all the TV shows she's seen where one person said they'd, "be right back" led to crazy, Mia immediately clipped her behind the ear.

_"Don't even think about it."_

Paddy had made sure to be out of ear range, because he considered the things he was going to say a private matter. May quickly caught up and they walked a ways towards a row of trees, bordering the garden. She didn't know just what the man wanted from her. She had come to know him a bit, but the brooding, thinking Paddy was creepier than the straightforward uncouth brute he usually was. He had been like this for quite some time.

_"What is it?"_ May inquired.

_"I'm sorry to bring this up again, but I would like to talk about your grandfather."_

_"…Ok,"_ May said hesitantly. Talking about family with outsiders was something her parents taught her to be cautious about. Yet Paddy proved himself trustworthy for the short amount of time she had known him, and if he did have some connection to her grandfather then it was not her right to deny his request.

_"With Layla safe you will all probably be leaving shortly so I wanted to ask you a few things before that, if you don't mind that is."_

_"It's not that I think that you don't deserve to know, but I don't know that much myself. All I know of him are stories and photos."_

Paddy chuckled like he was going for a Santa impersonation.

_"Well then, I believe I know a story about him that you've never heard before," _he said teasingly, waiting for May to fall prey to her curiosity.

_"Really?"_ she said trying to sound doubtful of what he claimed, but actually masking her eagerness, because she was to prideful to downright ask him to tell her.

_"Well, I'll tell you, but if you've heard this one before, just stop me,"_ he said smugly. He knew May was no better than those tribal kids he used to tell stories to, as all children are dangerously curious.

_"We'll see."_

Paddy would have liked to drag this on for a bit longer, but the fun was over and May needed to know a few things, things which might not be pleasant to hear. He rubbed his temple and sat down on a nearby bench. Thinking back on his past apparently gave him a strange feeling of being old.

_"I guess what you probably do know is that Master Sergeant Lu Wong was an accomplished soldier and leader."_

May nodded once.

_"What you didn't know is that he was practically a general, maybe even a field marshal … that is if he hadn't always refused the titles. You see he wanted to always be close to the troops, get the best out of them, so he threatened to discharge if they kept insisting. Fine with his higher- ups probably; they still paid him more than anyone of his rank could ever make."_

He stopped and looked at May. _"I'm guessing you live in very a spacious house."_

_"I suppose. It's big even with my four brothers and two sisters."_

Paddy just had to laugh at that. _"Despite his modesty, your grandfather was not modest when it came to his family. That actually extended to a lot of the soldiers he commanded. That's what was so amazing about him; he didn't care for military conquest, but for us."_

May finally sat down on the bench, leaving respectable room between them.

_"So, where are you going with this?"_ she asked.

_"Oh I'm sorry, I was starting to lose myself in memories. When you get to a certain age you start to ramble."_

_"Don't give me that old man talk, especially after you've earned some respect from me,"_ she said bluntly.

_"Sorry,"_ he apologized with amusement in his voice.

_"Continue."_

_"Right. So … I guess what I was trying to say is, that's how we, the low ranking soldiers saw him. Despite his rank though, he was being called to consult a lot of situations, while also being out in the field. He also took me under his wing. And I …"_

_"You what?"_

_"Let's just say I wasn't the best soldier in the corp. When I met your grandfather for the first time I had done some monumentally stupid things, one that almost got me kicked out, if it hadn't been for him."_

He pondered for a moment whether or not to tell May that he had been drunk on vodka smuggled in shampoo bottles the first time he met her grandfather, and how he scrubbed the barracks for a month using a toothbrush with his cohorts afterwards.

_"If you're not comforta-" _began May.

_"No, don't worry; you wouldn't understand if you didn't know the whole story. Basically, I didn't really want to join the army. I was initially working in an auto shop at first, got promoted afterwards and kept out of the war business by fulfilling military contracts. Things couldn't have been better for Annie and me."_

_"An-" _May had to stop herself from asking, then took a quick glance at his hand, which Paddy caught pretty quickly despite seeming a bit out of it.

_"I don't wear the ring anymore, I'm afraid I'll lose it. You see, Annie died of a damned disease a few years after we had gotten married and were ready to start a family."_

_"I'm sorry to …"_

_"I told you not to worry, didn't I? Now then … After Annie's death I started a lot of bad habits, one of which was drinking. And having nothing better to do with my life, I decided to join the army and at least die honorably."_

This dark side of Paddy May had not expected. She could understand, but couldn't really relate to such a strong feeling of fatalism. It surprised her however, how easily Paddy talked about these grim events of his life.

_"Lu didn't know of my wish. He thought I was just misguided, so he trained me. When we finally did see some action he knew how to use us, how to plan everything so that everyone would return safely. He was, as we called him- not the best man for the job, but the right man. Of course we took that for granted and made mistakes, but he was prepared for that too. However …"_

He paused for a bit; this was the serious part of his story, if not his entire life.

_"We got orders to attack a heavily fortified encampment, one that we could only survive if we had air support right away. Lu didn't like it one bit. That week he was more upset than anyone had ever seen him. He started finding nonsense reasons to get rid of us, either by changing units, or discharge or even court martial. I should know- I was the first. He did it so well that none of us could ever get back into the military unit easily. The last guy he could kick out, he did because he injured the guy himself."_

Paddy paused again to think about what he was going to say.

"_What I'm going to tell you now is what I heard from that last guy because Lu told him to spread the word amongst us. The planned attack would have never gotten enough aerial support in time. In other words, it was a suicide mission meant only to draw out the majority of the enemy forces and keep them in disarray until the big guns came out._

_We of course didn't know that at the time. Our assault should have seemed authentic and not just stalling for time, but we didn't need to know that. But Lu figured it out and couldn't do much about it. He could, however, save as many of his squad as he could by getting rid of them. In the end, it was just like he said- no one from his squad made it back, but the generals still called the operation a success. The attack was devastating and cost-effective. And that's it …"_

May was silent, still digesting the story. She couldn't say anything. She would have liked to get angry, but there was no one around to get angry at. Paddy saw how tense she had gotten.

_"When your grandfather kicked me out I begged for him not to. I told him that the army was all that I had left in the world. He told me if that had been my reason to fight then he should have kicked me out a long time ago. Then he told me this, 'No one will ever be proud of the way you died. They say they are, but they do it trying to cope with the sadness. If you are going to be remembered, let it be because of the life you lived.' Those were the last words he ever said to me."_

May understood now, how despite the sadness of her family's loss, her grandfather managed to live on in memory as 'not the best man, but the right man'. Paddy got up and started walking back as May followed. Paddy flipped open his wallet_._

_"Here,"_ he said, handing her something. _"One of us managed to get this before it could be archived or burned."_

May was surprised to see the old black and white photo she held of a gorgeous woman, holding a small boy by the hand. This was probably the earliest picture that existed of her grandmother; she had been beautiful. That however meant that the small boy was her father who looked too childish for her to believe. She grinned widely and couldn't wait to show this to her family, but then her smile dropped.

_"I always hoped to someday return this to whoever I could find of Lu's descendants. I guess fate brought us together so I could. Please give this to your family."_

_"No,"_ May said swiftly. _"I refuse."_

_"What?"_

_"I said I won't do it."_

_"But..."_

_"It is your responsibility to give this, not to me, but to my grandmother. I cannot accept this as much as I would like to."_

Paddy stood there for a moment. He hadn't really considered that Lu's wife could still be alive. The Chinese girl started to smile. Of course she could accept the picture here and now, but she wanted him to do it, to meet and tell this story to her grandmother, tell her the truth she deserved to know.

_"And you don't know where he's buried now do you?"_ she added knowing that he probably wanted to visit her grandfather's grave all his life, but never could bring himself to do it.

_"I should have expected this from one of Lu's relatives,"_ Paddy said giving up with a smile and started to walk back to the group with May.

_"However, the story doesn't end there, does it?"_ May suggested, as if a new arc had started in the story of his life.

The man gave her a glance of surprise then understood that he had indeed forgotten to give a proper ending to the entire tale.

_"Well I still had my savings from my old job so I decided to live the rest of my life as best as I could. I would live a life that Annie and Lu would both be proud of."_

_"You did. And you still do"_ said May as they got back to the fountain where commotion had started.

Spotting their return, Rosetta came up to the Chinese girl and yanked at her hand.

_"C'mon May! We can go see Layla now!"_ she said excitedly. The whole group was starting to move back towards the hospital.

Paddy then remembered something he forgot to ask. _"Wait May, how do I ...?"_

May answered still being yanked away by the diablo artist. _"Don't worry, I'll surely be at Kaleido Stage."_

Mia and Anna passed the aging man, and Anna, without saying a word, pointed her index and middle finger towards her eyes, then turned them back to point at him, and then once more back to her eyes in a 'I'm watching you' gesture.

With a shrug, Paddy joined Thulani who then started to explain what had happened while they were gone. Layla had regained consciousness and was going to be released pretty soon. The doctor whom Cathy had befriended had taken over the shift and had allowed them all to visit Layla.

Meanwhile, in the room the group was heading towards, a rather different mood had set in. Layla had actually woken up more than half an hour ago, giving Richard ample time to hug, scold, baby and express his relief, as well as shake hands with the medical staff. But now, with that all said and done, he had blown all of his steam, so there wasn't much else for him to say. He however noticed that Sora was quietly sitting in the chair. She would have left them alone, if he hadn't insisted for her to stay. He figured that Sora was just too polite to say anything to interrupt them.

_"Look, Sora you don't have to be so stiff. Because of what you've done, you're something akin to a hero."_

She stiffened up at being called a 'hero,' and even more so because Richard had called her by her first name.

_"Y-yes ... s-sir."_

He laughed, remembering when this exact same girl basically preached to him about how her daughter felt about the Stage those years ago, and then the reprimand over the phone not too long ago. But he was trying really hard to be as easy going as he could. He didn't know why Sora acted the way she did though.

_"I don't think anyone could have handled this any better."_

**Loosen up already!** **Say something casual, something natural. **Sora thought.

_"I'm honored, Mr. Hamilton."_

**Stupid! Stupid!** she cursed herself.

_"Please, call me Richard, I won't accept anything else."_

Sora stopped fumbling with her fingers, uncrossed her legs and stood as straight as she could as if she was trying to make her neck grow longer.

_"O-ok ... Ri-Richard."_

Of course being as nervous as she was, it came out 'Rii-char', almost 'Rii-chan,' as if the accent that almost all but disappeared a while ago, decided to pop up just now. She pretended to cough because of that, trying to blame it on a dry throat. All that Richard could do is chuckle some more.

Layla also grinned. It had been ages since she had seen him like that. She couldn't remember him being casual, almost silly because of joy. And it made her happy to see two people who were very important to her interact friendly to each other.

_"Father, stop picking on her," _Layla said smiling, but secretly encouraging him to fluster Sora some more.

_"What? I'm just trying to help her loosen up."_

_"Well, you're not doing a good job. Now, Sora, tell me more about what happened."_

Sora felt reluctant, but couldn't refuse, yet she worried that somehow retelling what had happened could damage Layla's pride.

_"Well, after Mr. ... I mean Richard contacted us, after he had been contacted by Paddy. I mean, that is how you found out right?"_ Sora asked not being too sure of this part of the story.

_"Yes, Paddy set things in motion, but it was that Wesley fellow who got on the phone with me."_

_"What?" _exclaimed Layla. If _he_ knew then the entire village probably knew. It wasn't that big of a deal, but she had hoped that the whole thing could be as isolated as possible.

_"Don't worry about it. I don't think he'll make much out of it. I made sure of that I hope."_

The blonde stared at him suspiciously, trying to make out what he was thinking. _"You didn't…"_

_"What? It's charity as far as I'm concerned."_

She grumbled inaudibly at that, but then tried not to get too worked up about it._ "Please continue Sora."_

Sora nodded. _"After that, we gathered as much as we could and retraced your steps. Eventually we met up with Paddy who had already started searching and combined our efforts. Oh there was also help from some local villagers."_

_"And then?"_ Layla asked almost impatiently, wondering if anyone in Africa didn't already know what had happened by now.

_"Well, we started searches until we found you."_

_"You mean until **you** found her,"_ Richard corrected.

_"Please..."_ Sora implored, not liking the whole hero image which was forced on her_. "It was a joint effort. If Paddy hadn't cooperated, or had sought help at all, or if Rosetta didn't spot the tracks leading into the dry riverbed... then..."_

_"Sora... stop. It's alright now,"_ Layla ordered calmly. But in her head other things had been going on. **Good.** **No slipups, yet.**

The fact of the matter was, that Layla knew just what had happened before her father showed up, or she suspected. She did remember Sora's face dangerously close to hers ... and cherries. She wondered where that fit into everything. Had it been part of the dream? Was it just Sora's natural scent? But more importantly, did she miss Sora's cheek? If she didn't, it might explain Sora's strange behavior.

**But maybe even a kiss on the cheek might embarrass her… It's happened before. **

Layla recalled the little number Sora and Rosetta once did before one of her performances. **Yes, that must be it. That _has_ to be it. That _is_ it ... isn't it?**

_"I'm sorry…"_

_"And don't start apologizing either."_

_"Sorr...alright."_

Layla laughed softly as best she could trying not to sound nervous. She thanked the gods for the acting talents she had obtained doing those movies and performing for Off Broadway.

_"And don't worry about what happened earlier either."_

Sora raised her head in surprise followed closely by a strong blush, which rose too quickly for her to attempt to control.

**Oh God, she knows, doesn't she? Is it okay with her? Or is it so that I don't act weird anymore? She seems calm. She probably doesn't remember what happened earlier too clearly. Or does she know, and is trying to play it down? Either way I have to snap out of it.**

She tried to her best to calm down, and after a moment, her blush was gone and Layla's words made her relax.

**Sora calmed down quickly. I guess it was nothing more than a kiss on the cheek, but she is too shy to forget about it. Adorable.**

Now Layla had to fight her own blush, and turned to the side, pretending to cough all the while trying to hide her face.

Richard did not miss the exchange and was curious as to what the two girls were hiding.

_"Did something happen?"_

Sora and Layla both chose that moment to look everywhere else except at Richard. They had fought to keep calm, and now he was about to ruin it. Luckily the door to the room opened, and due to all the awkwardness, none of the occupants had noticed the commotion outside.

_"And how is our patient doing so far?"_

_"Fine, thanks to you," _Richard answered forgetting his question.

_"Well then, I hope you won't mind her to see a few visitors after I do a checkup?"_

_"I don't,"_ Layla answered for herself this time- any distraction was welcome.

_"Alright then." _

Ted walked outside, not fully closing the door behind him.

_"Ok, people, listen up. Here's how this is going to work. Ms. Hamilton is still tired, so you're going to split into groups and go in one at a time. That means not staying too much in there either. While I do a quick check on her, everyone form your groups and determine an order."_

The first group of people came in and it wasn't a whole lot of people Layla recognized. She recognized Ken and others, who were part of the stage crew and some of the rookies she had selected back when Sora first auditioned, but the rest were new faces; they were probably the newest additions. Thulani was also amongst them and he almost ran to her bedside and grabbed her hand.

_"I'm so glad to see that you are safe!" _he said, a bit misty eyed.

_"Back off, T. We want to see Layla too,"_ said a girl standing with another girl and a boy whom Layla didn't recognize. They stood behind Thulani who was squatting on the bedside along with a few others.

_"Oh my god," _one of the new recruits almost squealed_. "It's such an honor to meet you in person."_

_"I've dreamed of this day!" _chimed in the boy next._ "You are the best to have ever performed at Kaleido Stage," _he said barely being able to contain himself before turning to current Kaleido Star. _"No offense, Sora."_

She just laughed softly, because she believed it too, even though Layla had told her once that she had surpassed her.

_"We've seen all of your shows and learned a great deal from watching your performances. Did we say it was an honor?"_

Layla felt a bit overwhelmed. She didn't expect for them to be such big fans when they had someone like Sora to look up to.

_"Yes you did. Thank you ... uhm ..."_ she said trying to get them to tell her their names, but the overexcited trio were too awestruck to follow her lead.

Smiling, Sora came behind the three, tapping them on the head when she introduced them.

_"Julia, Matt and Laura."_

_"Oh! Our names! Right!" _Laura said_. "Uh ... yeah, those are our names."_

Layla smiled, becoming infected with their energy. _"And let's see ..."_ she pointed out by looking at them. _"Thulani and Ken ... Christine, Michael, Sam and Samatha, that's right isn't it?" _They nodded_. "Also Tom and Thomas, and of course, David from the construction team."_

_"Head of the construction team,"_ David corrected grinning.

_"I beg your pardon,"_ Layla said smiling. _"But thank you, to all of you. I just hope we could have met under ... better circumstances."_

_"What are you talking about?"_ Michael said before he could restrain himself from being so direct. _"Seeing you now after you survived all that… I'm deeply moved."_

_"Yes!"_ Thulani added. _"In some tribes it's one of the trails of becoming a man!"_

There was a pause before the room exploded with laughter.

_"What?"_ Thulani asked, trying to mask his embarrassment.

Not only would Layla have proved her worth; having returned like this would have made some of the other tribes believe that they were seeing a ghost. By the ways of the dry plains, she was certainly dead to them because of how long she survived without water or food, yet she had survived, and now it was time to rejoice.

After they chatted for another bit, declaring their boundless admiration and happiness, it was time for the other group, which Layla knew better.

The next round of guests included: Mia, Anna, May, Rosetta, Cathy and of course, Paddy. Among them, if she remembered correctly, were three other trainees she had cast, and another guy from the lighting department.

Paddy opened his mouth to say something just as Cathy darted to the bed, giving Layla a big hug.

_"Don't you ever make me worry like that again! I was so worried," _Cathy cried.

Getting over the initial surprise of seeing her good friend, Layla returned the tight hug. She guessed that the other woman had been part of the operation as well.

The rest had gathered around the bed and Rosetta jumped onto Sora's lap like a little sister. They smiled at each other and Sora, hugging her from behind, managed to completely calm down.

_"I'll come with you next time,"_ Cathy said a bit choked up. _"I'll tie myself to you."_

Layla patted her head reassuringly, while Cathy continued.

_"I will never force you to go on vacation ever again. No! Better, I'll never give you another vacation."_

At that Layla pushed her away. _"Ok, I think that's quite enough."_

Cathy forced herself back into the embrace, and only after reassuring herself that Layla hadn't adopted the density of pudding pulled away and sat down content.

_"All of you ..."_ Layla started, _"I can't thank you enough ... and I can't apologize enough for the trouble I've caused."_

The room fell silent. They sensed that Layla felt guilty about the whole ordeal, and was sincerely thanking them under the pretense of an apology. She thought they had all done it all for Sora, the kind and cheerful and always helpful Kaleido Star, but it was nothing farther from the truth, and Anna answered nonchalantly as always.

_"We can't abandon a Kaleido Star, now can we?"_

_"T-t-that's right!"_ May stuttered having lost all her previous composure being near her idol, which Paddy found amusing.

_"Perfomers gotta' stick together,"_ Mia added, grinning proudly.

Layla felt touched by those simple replies. Just a few years ago, she couldn't imagine this many people caring for the real girl behind the commanding Kaleido Star persona. She remembered being cold and indifferent to them in the past, but then gradually warming up to their personalities and ideas. It was true that outside of Sora, she didn't really establish any official connection to any of them, but then she remembered the feeling of the stunt they pulled on her birthday, the fun of Arabian Nights, the teamwork for Freedom Lights, and the long and dangerous journey to the Legendary Great Maneuver.

And whilst May's feelings were of adoration, Rosetta had immense respect and a sense of understanding of Layla's sometimes lonely past as a performer at the top. In their eyes Layla noticed, that none of them would really have bothered if they didn't honestly care about her. If they didn't- she might not be alive. They had all cared for her for different, but honest reasons. That had been Sora's criteria all along for choosing them to come along.

In that moment, Layla felt sorry for not having spent more time with them, but also eager, that when she did get better, that she would try and reach out more. Some, if not most probably appreciated and admired her from a far distance, which in turn was how she had seen them, but now she was determined to close that distance if possible. After all, these people had come to her aid- the least she could do was get to know them a little better.

She knew it would take a while, but Layla had made her decision and it was as genuine as a signature on a contract. Gazing around the room, Layla realized she was about to embark on a new journey.

The room fell silent for a brief moment, as if all the occupants understood Layla; their thoughts coincided so strongly it became palpable through unexpected tears on the blonde's part. This was what Sora saw, what her Father knew. This was the side of Layla no one ever praised, that was never applauded, but which could on very rare moments be seen.

And with a tick from the clock mounted on the wall, the moment passed. Layla was quick to brush her two tears as quickly as she could, while Sora grinned almost proudly, and after a while so did everyone else.

_"I guess you've finally put the lid on that, but you won't get off that easy,"_ Paddy said crossing his arm pretending to get upset.

_"What do you mean?"_ Layla asked not feeling at all bothered having shown her emotions.

_"Well, there might not be that many cars in our part of town, but there are laws regarding grand theft auto."_

_"Oops,"_ was her only reply, and honest too, because she had completely forgotten about that.

Richard quickly saw that Paddy wasn't serious.

_"Unless of course your story is interesting."_

Cathy gave the old guide a stink-eyed look, because making Layla remember is what just they had agreed on not doing.

_"What do you want to know?"_ Layla said calmly, giving Cathy her answer. Although Layla wasn't sure if she was ready to relive the past few days just yet, the people around her deserved to know.

Ted opened the door, and nodded towards the room. A few more people stepped in, although most chose to stay outside of the already cramped room.

After everyone was situated, Paddy dove right in. _"Tell me what you saw."_

The dramatic tension after Paddy's request was broken by Anna who couldn't help but remember where she had heard that line before.

_"Uh-uh… Gojira! Gojira!"_ she repeated before Mia flicked her behind the ear.

_"Ow!"_

_"Don't mind her,"_ Mia said as she rolled her eyes.

But the joke that only Cathy seemed to get and Sora kind of got, seemed to go unheard by Layla. She unfocused and her brows furrowed, and then there was a look in her eyes that Paddy and Thulani instantly recognized.

_"I've seen ... a lot of things" _she said and paused, remembering._ "Weird things… amazing things, beautiful ... scary things." _Different emotions appeared and disappeared on her face for moments. They ranged from inquisitive, to confused, and to astounded, then frustrated, then vicious. Then the muscles in her face relaxed as she calmed, but she was still breathing a little ragged.

_"If you don't mind, tell us more," _Paddy carefully asked.

_"Well at first all I could really find was an African Wild Dog; well I guess it found me. It wouldn't leave me alone, until I drove off. I saw some vultures and drove to see what had happened. I couldn't really see a log that had been covered in tall grass and it forced me into a riverbed. From there I had a pretty easy drive. It was harder getting back out, but I did eventually. The vultures had led me to quite a scene."_

_"Lions?" _Thulani asked.

_"Yes. They had caught a buffalo- not a pretty sight- but pretty intense; quite a large pride."_

_"Must have been the Ridge Pride,"_ Paddy assumed.

_"They seemed pretty desperate to hunt in that heat,"_ Layla remarked.

_"Yeah, that's how they get before the rainy season starts, they mostly hunt at night."_

Layla started to smile now as she remembered what happened afterwards.

_"Someone else was hunting in daylight."_

_"Oh?"_ Paddy asked, while everyone else was starting to get taken in by her experiences even though Layla didn't describe them in detail.

_"A cheetah,"_ Layla answered, while moving her gaze to Sora. Her eyes widened just barely. She hadn't noticed until now, but that same shade of red and brown; she had seen it before.

Rosetta felt how warm Sora had gotten all of a sudden. She leaned on her side then looked at Sora, then at Layla, trying to see what Layla was seeing.

_"Uhm ... Did 'it' remind you of Sora?"_ asked Rosetta.

Layla flinched, not having noticed her gaze wander and nodded.

Paddy followed Layla's eyes, and took a good look at Sora now. He squinted a little_. "Huh, I think she's right."_

Now everyone turned to Sora making her pretty uncomfortable, which was odd because she was a stage performer. Sora just didn't like the analytical stare, as if she were a scientific specimen.

_"Moving on..."_ Cathy said wanting to get back on topic, and effectively bringing everyone's attention back to the blonde in the bed.

_"Yes, well ... I ... It approached me pretty quickly and jumped on the jeep. We literally shared a breath."_

_"Paddy?"_ Thulani asked wanting to know what his mentor thought about this.

_"Must've been one of the untagged ones. Most likely the female who lives within the Ridge Pride's territory."_

_"What happened afterwards?"_ Sora asked having calmed down cooled down as well.

_"I eventually ended up a waterhole, and stayed there. A few elephants passed, they had a really young one with them."_

_"Quite a safari Mrs. Hamilton,"_ Paddy said impressed. Driving to a waterhole was a good, albeit dangerous strategy to see some animals during the hot part of the day.

_"Indeed,"_ Richard agreed.

_"I was no threat to them so they were none to me, but ..."_

Layla's voice seemed to lose all of its strength all of a sudden. Everyone knew that this was the painful part. They started to feel guilty for having pressed her with their curious eyes and questions.

Cathy especially had feared this, but she also started to believe that maybe it might be better for Layla to get everything off her chest as soon as possible. But no one knew what to say. Words of comfort crossed Sora's mind, but she was afraid to say something to upset Layla and it would be in front of her peers, and those that already looked up to her.

Fortunately, Rosetta's impulsiveness kicked in. She grabbed Layla's hand with her two smaller ones. _"You don't have to tell us everything," _she said, and squeezed gently.

Both girls had a quick flashback to the moment they first shook hands, when Rosetta did her first show at Kaleido Stage. They remembered seeing the same flawless professionalism in each other and mutual respect that came from that, but now it was replaced by a genuine feeling of caring.

Sora put one hand on top of theirs, reassuringly. _"That's right."_

Layla knew it was true, and a part of her wanted to do just that, but she knew that she had to confront this sooner or later, and later would be too late.

She returned the gesture and smiled to put the girls at ease. _"No, you should know. You all deserve to know,"_ Layla said and gazed at everyone including the people she could see in the doorway. She took a deep breath and continued.

_"There was another elephant, larger than the others. It was…what's the word Paddy, 'musth?'"_

His and Thulani's eyes both widened in shock. They looked at each other and realized just what a miracle Layla's survival was. Thulani said something in his native tongue too fast for anyone to catch. Paddy understood, however and responded.

_"What is that?"_ Richard asked worriedly, mirroring the thoughts of the other people in the room.

_"Musth- a state of intense aggression in male elephants during breeding. They don't eat, they barely sleep, but their rage knows no bounds. The creature basically becomes an unstoppable tank that flattens and destroys anything that gets between it and potential mates."_

_"And that's what happened to your jeep,"_ Layla said meekly.

_"Argh, don't mind the bloody jeep. It was a pile of junk to begin with. But that would explain why there were no drag marks."_

_"Why, what happened?" _Anna asked before Mia could stop her.

Paddy turned to her. _"It was flung in the waterhole,"_ he answered and then turned back to Layla, _"and you almost with it."_

_"Almost. I managed to jump out before that, but ..."_

_"It was the jeep that hit you in the legs," _Ted completed for her. _"Amazing! That's a huge amount of force. It explains the bruises and why the muscles had been damaged like that."_

_"Will she be okay, doctor?"_ Richard asked.

_"Yes, I've told you before. Your daughter can probably put all her weight on her legs, but she can't keep herself up for a time."_

_"I see."_

_"It's probably due to your muscle conditioning from constant training and performances, Ms. Hamilton, that you didn't sustain any permanent injuries."_

_"You're going to be alright,"_ Sora said as if the doctor's words weren't enough, but she just felt that it had to be said, or maybe she had just thought it out loud. No one minded though, because they were as relieved and hopeful as much as she was.

_"What happened then?"_ Cathy asked seeing that there was no way around it.

_"I ..." _Layla paused, unable to form what she truly wanted to say.

Sora put her hand on top of Rosetta's which were still holding Layla's, repeating the earlier message entirely in touch, to which Layla answered. _"No. It's not that I don't want to…remember… It's just that ... I don't know what was real and what wasn't."_

_"Confusion, pain…without any food and water. Yet another miracle that you survived. And for what was it, three days? Anything wounded rarely makes it past the night,"_ Ted said in amazement.

_"Why is that?"_ Richard asked again, but already guessing the answer.

_"Predators. I'm surprised vultures didn't give Layla away, or that hyenas hadn't found her."_

**The vultures had eaten something better with the buffalo remains.** Paddy quickly deduced. **And the hyenas wouldn't intrude on Ridge Pride's territory so casually.**

_"I'm guessing you also had several hallucinations due to the heat," _Ted went on.

_"I can't really remember,"_ Layla partially lied. She couldn't remember anything from the heat induced dream she experienced, other than it being one of the worst nightmares in her life, but she did recall her tormentor, and the ghastly images it had produced.

_"I guess that's a good thing."_

_"But there's more, isn't there?"_ Paddy asked on blind intuition.

_"…Yes," _answered Layla, not too surprised that Paddy could tell she was hiding something_. "But it might be the most unbelievable part of my story."_

_"Paddy," _Thulani said in an uncertain tone, catching a certain glint in Layla's gaze.

_"I know. Let her speak."_

But Layla didn't say another word. She somehow knew that they knew what happened, and what doubts she had were erased when her and Paddy's eyes met. She saw the same fright and the same relief in his eyes.

_"You've seen it, haven't you?"_ Paddy asked, leading her on.

_"Seen wh-?"_ Layla tried to say.

_"Don't play dumb. I've told you when we met, didn't I? I've looked lions straight into the eyes one too many times..."_

Everyone else started to have the same revelation, but before anyone could ask, Paddy finished. "_As have you."_

_"What?"_ Sora burst out in surprise, but then everyone else's questions started pouring in after that.

_"How did this happen?"_ Richard asked worried sick again for his daughter despite her being safe.

_"You've got to be kidding!"_ Cathy said in amazement, not incredulity.

The conversations in the room quickly got off track, but before things got too out of hand, Ted stepped in. _"Quiet down people. We're still in a hospital."_

After everyone calmed down, Thulani was the first to speak. _"What Paddy says is true isn't it?"_

Layla nodded then proceeded to retell the encounter, giving into the pleading eyes of her audience who weren't going anywhere till everything was explained.

_"I don't recall when this happened, other than it being during the day, and at first I didn't know if I was dreaming or not, because I had fallen asleep at one point."_

She decided to leave out the part about her inner demons haunting her to no end.

_"But I found myself being stared at by a big male lion. In that moment my mind was telling that it was over, but ..." _she inhaled deeply, and then breathed out in a more relaxing fashion, _"... there was another lion."_

Everyone's heart jumped into their throat at that, despite Layla's apparent aura of calm.

_"But that one was different. It was older and even though it looked just as hungry as the other one, I felt that it didn't mean me harm. It is because of it that I am here."_

Everyone sighed in relief, and some shook their heads, disbelieving what the blond woman went through.

_"After that, all I remember clearly is being hoisted up and Sora at my side, then waking up here."_

Sora then realized that Layla couldn't or wouldn't recall what she said before she hoisted her up into the helicopter. Sora guessed in time that Layla might remember, but she hoped she wouldn't.

_"Quite a story," _Cathy said in awe.

_"Quite a safari,"_ the old guide corrected politely.

_"But Paddy," _interjected Thulani, with an uncertain, but determined look on his face.

_"Look, I know you were right, but she told us, so there's no need to ..."_

_"No, that's not what I mean,"_ the young African man tried to explain, then whispered something in his native tongue to Paddy.

_"Oh, no,"_ Paddy said reverting to his grumpy self. _"You're not gonna' make a big 'mumbo- jumbo'- nature's magic deal out of this."_

_"You can't deny the coincidences,"_ Thulani tried to reason.

_"Pah!"_ Paddy said clearly irritated at what his friend was trying to get at._ "You can find a magical-bullshit explanation for everything then."_

_"Because, maybe there is one!"_ the young African man almost shouted.

It was the first time anyone present had seen the two fighting over something, and by the look of things it was probably the only thing they ever argued over, and could only agree to disagree.

_"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please," _said Richard trying to calm the two down. _"There's no need to get so worked up about this. This is a hospital for God's sake." _Richard was now getting agitated at the two friends, because all he wanted was peace for his recuperating pair became quiet and started to feel slightly embarrassed for their outbreak.

_"Now then, young man,"_ Richard continued_, "is there anything you would like to add?"_

_"Yes, if I may. In my culture, experiences like that have a more ... let's say- spiritual explanation."_

Paddy was going to say something, but decided not to start this old debate again. Instead he just grunted and shook his head.

_"Go on,"_ Cathy urged getting curious. She desperately wished she thought to bring her pen and paper along for the trip. One could never now where and when a great idea for a story could happen.

_"Well, the way Layla was pushed into some of these events is quite extraordinary. You may call it fate, but tribes people would interpret it differently ... I think that Layla fell victim to one of Anansi's pranks."_

Ted chuckled slightly understanding what the young man was getting at. Everyone else looked puzzled.

_"Who?" _Rosetta asked without hesitation.

_"Anansi, the trickster. A being of folklore, said to sometimes guide people in his mischief."_

_"So you think Layla met this ..." _said Rosetta.

_"He's a spider,"_ Paddy said as if it weren't up for debate. _"The word literally means 'spider'. It's also not real."_

Thulani simply ignored the man, and went on._ "He can appear in other forms as long as he fulfills the will of the creator god."_

_"Oh yeah, solid argument right there,"_ Paddy said sarcastically.

_"So you think I met him?"_ Layla asked not recalling any kind of mystical happenings.

_"Yes. I think it's obvious that Anansi appeared to you ..."_

Everyone's anticipation grew.

_"In the form of a dog," _saidThulani.

_"What?"_ Layla said incredulously. It just wasn't possible that the 'dog' led her to all these places.

_"Think about it. Who was it that set you on your way that led from one encounter to the other?"_

Layla's only option was to play along, but she understood how it seemed logical to him_. "I guess you could say that's where it started."_

**But then again, it was Cathy who sent me on this trip. And she does trick me…a lot, unfortunately, but not like that. Yet,_ I_ was the one who felt like I was standing still and had to do something for myself. So does that mean that ... **

_"I don't expect you to believe me. But that is how people of many tribes would explain it. He led you from one place to another, whether you liked it or not."_

_"I see,"_ Layla said still disbelieving, but then she considered that she and Sora had been guided by a (Fool of a) spirit in the past. Maybe that was what had happened, even if it had been orchestrated by an unlikely being. Remembering the yapping and all that she went through, Layla's only thought was- **That damned dog.**

At that point no one had anything else to say, and it seemed the end of Layla's story. They had heard and learned so much in such a little time. Whether or not they chose to believe Thulani's theory, they didn't say, but one thing for sure was that it was an amazing tale, one that they would surely be reflecting on, on their way back to Kaleido Stage.

_"Well that was certainly interesting," _Mia said, still unsure what to believe.

_"Sure was,"_ Cathy agreed.

Layla smiled, not knowing how else to respond. Right now it didn't seem interesting or awe-inspiring as certainly some people were thinking. To her, it was more surreal, like something from a fantasy. Yes, it all happened, and at the time it felt like the heat, the sounds, and the pain were all too real, but now it seemed like she had just remembered a bad dream that had taken place long ago. Too tired to dwell any deeper, the injured blonde took a deep yawn, to which Ted immediately reacted.

_"Okay, show's over. Ms. Hamilton is worn out. This many people aren't even allowed in a room at one time."_

Everyone got the not too subtle hint from the doctor, and rose or stood from which ever spot they had been glued to for the past hour, but before departing, they all said farewell to Layla and wished her a speedy recovery. Touched, Layla acknowledged each and every one of them, even if she didn't even know all their names.

After the crowd left, Sora finally made it over to the bed, but was unsure what to say, so she met the blonde's eyes for a long moment, and just gave her a smile that she hoped said it all, and joined the rest of the group back outside of the hospital room. She turned to look back just in time to see Richard rise from his chair by the bed, until Ted signaled him to remain seated and closed the door.

Back in the hallway, it was quiet for a few moments, but soon everyone started to discuss what they had just heard from Layla, Paddy and Thulani. They began to openly discuss the places Layla had visited, and talk had also started of getting everyone home. Ken started to let everyone know that Mr. Hamilton had requested for everyone to accept his offer for transport back to the U.S. People figured that since it was Mr. Hamilton, he would offer something expensive, but Ken reassured them that it was free of charge, so naturally no one minded.

Sora joined Rosetta, and patted the younger girl on the head. _"Thanks for what you did back there."_

That warm killer smile Sora gave her always made the short red-haired girl bashful, but they both knew the motive.

_"If it's for Layla," _responded Rosetta.

Sora nodded twice as if she couldn't agree more. One short, but intense chapter in Layla's life had ended, but apparently not just yet as Ted opened the door and called for Sora with a loud cough and clear gesture. She quickly answered and entered the room.

Inside, Layla seemed to have been already displeased by something that had just been said.

_"Is anything wrong?" _Sora asked taking the same seat she had before, right next to Layla's bed.

The gentlemen looked at each other before Ted decided to start. _"Here's the deal Sora, I may call you Sora?"_

She nodded.

_"Here's what is going to happen. There is no need to keep Layla here in Cairo, so we decided, that she can return home even tonight, because Mr. Hamilton can arrange it. I would actually recommend it because there are better specialists on muscle injuries back in the States."_

_"I've already bought a wheelchair and crutches,"_ Richard cut in.

_"And she won't need them for too long. Muscle regeneration and repair won't take too much time given Layla's already strong physique. And, if we are vigilant, and keep up at conditioning, rehabilitation will only take up to a few months, maybe less."_

_"Okay ..."_ Sora said not understanding just why they were telling her this.

_"And during that time Layla will need a caretaker."_

_"Father..."_ Layla said warningly, and clearly embarrassed; it was similar to a twelve year old who was about to pout and make a fuss.

_"No,"_ Richard firmly said_. "No discussions this time."_ He looked back at the Japanese girl. _"Sora, I know I have asked a great deal from you already, more than I'd ever ask of anyone, but I would like you to be Layla's caretaker for a month at least."_

_"Father, you can't simply force my problem on Sora. She has her own responsibilities at Kaleido Stage. There must be people who can be hired to do this."_

_Richard thought for a brief moment. "Well, there is Macquarie, she could-"_

_"No," _interrupted Layla._ "She's spent too much time fretting and worrying over me over the years. She has her own life to take care of now."_

Richard sighed, and gave his daughter a strained expression._ "Look, I can't trust strangers to fulfill what the doctor prescribed. And I'm not forcing Sora as much as I didn't force her to come here in the first place."_

Layla fell quiet after that.

_"If it's any concern to you, I'll talk to Kalos. I'll make sure you'll get full paid vacation plus extra for the time you take care of Layla. The choice however is yours."_

Sora felt in quite a pinch, with sweat starting to drop down her back.

**If I accept, Layla will not like it. It's already difficult to admit that she needs help, but perhaps she doesn't want me to see her weakened, and dependent like this. That might just be what her father is afraid of. He won't trust a hired caretaker. And I will be on vacation anyway, even if a little bit longer. But wouldn't that mean living with Layla for a month? I don't think I can keep my cool even after Layla told me not to worry about _what_ happened when she woke up. **

But what Rosetta had just said earlier just popped into her mind.**If it's for Layla...**_"Alright."_

_"Sora, please..."_ Layla tried to reason.

_"I may not be as well prepared as a professional, but I want to help if you'll let me."_

Unlike Sora, Layla didn't really have a choice. She couldn't refuse a friend's request, especially her dearest. And maybe it was for the better. Through her journey in the wild, she had been constantly thinking about having Sora as company. She also just remembered her own vow not too long ago, to get to know everyone at the Stage better. But up until now, her actions would only have isolated her again, starting a cycle that perhaps she might never get out of. She sighed deeply which then turned into a smile. Besides, having Sora around…might be nice.

_"Alright."_

_"Great."_ Richard said. _"I'll talk to Kalos and have our plane ready." _ He then walked out of the room to make arrangements.

_"Guess I'll have to let the others know,"_ Sora said and followed.

Ted remained and finished the release papers and did a final check.

_"You know, it's not my business, but you should be grateful of friends like that, even if they don't placate you all the time."_

_"I suppose,"_ Layla said resigned, and closed her eyes in resignation.

Outside the hospital room, Sora had explained to everyone what had been decided. Reactions were mixed as expected. May naturally screamed in protest, Ken smiled reassuringly, Mia gave a thumbs up, and Anna yawned, it had been a long day.

_"So when will you come back?" _Rosetta asked, already knowing that Sora was going to be gone for a while. She tried to hide her gloom as best she could, but Sora could see right through her.

_"Hopefully in about a month or two,"_ Sora answered trying to reassure her friend.

_"Damn you!"_ May said jealously. "_Having the privilege to take care of Layla. Humph!"_

She pouted, but then added,_ "I guess it can't be helped, that she trusts you above everyone else."_

_"May ..."_ Sora said with a tender expression. It always surprised her when her competitive friend would say something intentionally caring- a rare event indeed. _"But your cooking is still crap. You'll have to improve for Layla," _she quickly added.

_"Okay …"_ Sora said laughing softly.

About a half an hour later, everyone was gathered outside of the hospital, waiting for transportation to take them back to the airport. Lots of tired goodbyes were said, and many pictures and videos were taken as mementos. May took a departing picture with Paddy, and encouraged him to finish what he started. Thulani, of course took a picture with the Kaleido performers.

Eventually their rides arrived, and everyone but Sora loaded what little they brought, and headed for the airport. Inside, they were led to a very spacious terminal, where they had to wait until Layla arrived.

Layla's transport arrived about thirty minutes later. Out of the back door, Sora quickly got out and fumbled with setting up the wheelchair, but got it to Layla's side just as she was helped out by Paddy and Thulani, who had accompanied them per Richard's request.

Safely situated in the wheelchair, Layla looked to Paddy and Thulani, and said a sincere thank you. She reached out gingerly and shook their hands.

Paddy's only response was to cough and say, "You're crazy." Then he smiled gruffly before adding, "Never change that."

"You are welcome, Ms. Hamilton. Take care of yourself. Come back to see us when you're all better! I will be the best tour guide!" Layla laughed at Thulani's enthusiasm and nodded.

"Wait!" screamed a voice.

Layla and the others turned to see Wesley running towards them. "I just wanted to say goodbye Ms. Layla Hamilton. It's been an adventure and a pleasure…" He breathed hard, trying to catch his breath. "The village will never forget what you and your father have done for us. Do come back and see us."

Thulani laughed and patted Wesley on the back, while Paddy just shook his head before getting back into the car. The two other men soon followed and the car sped off, the numerous airport lights reflecting off the vehicle.

Once alone with Layla and Richard, Sora dutifully asked if everything was all right, before pushing Layla into the terminal where the rest of the performers waited.

_"That's our Sora,"_ Mia commented, having watched the whole thing along with her peers from the large glass windows.

_"Yeah,"_ Anna agreed.

Upon entering the terminal, it was apparent to everyone how hard Layla was trying to hide her embarrassment to be seen like this. She would not make eye contact with any of the performers aside from the few she already knew.

_"Everything set?"_ Cathy asked Richard.

_"It is. You'll be joining us on our flight back to New York?" _he invited politely. The writer simply nodded in response. Richard then turned to the rest of the crew. _"As for everyone else, your private jet will arrive shortly. It isn't mine personally, but I hope they will treat you with the dignity you deserve."_

Everyone gasped in surprise and started looking forward to the trip back.

_"Sweet!"_ Anna exclaimed, _"I've never flown first class!"_

_"Really?"_ Rosetta asked surprised.

_"No, have you?"_ Anna replied not realizing how sought after Rosetta had been when she performed the diabolos. Then it dawned on her that of course the red-head could easily afford such luxuries. _"Wait, never mind,"_ she corrected herself.

_"You'll like it, I'm sure,"_ assured Rosetta.

_"And how,"_ Anna answered already thinking of all the over-the-top super star imitations and routines she wanted to pull. _"Oh right, hold on a sec,"_ she excused herself from her tiny co-performer and hurried to Sora.

_"Here. I packed your suitcase. It's kind of messy, but you'll be okay."_

_"Ah, thanks,"_ Sora said having completely forgotten everything else since she was given the task as Layla's caretaker.

Richard was then approached by someone from the airport staff.

_"It would seem our plane is ready,"_ he addressed the crowd. _"We will be taking our leave. But before we go I'd like to again thank all of you again for what you have done. You all are at least in my eyes, heroes."_

Everyone felt honored, but the sentiment was short lived as Sora remembered something.

_"Oh wait. I'm sorry, I almost forgot something," _she said quickly going over to Mia.

_"So much for your cool departure,"_ Cathy chuckled, to which Richard only sighed.

Layla was also amused, but then she saw something unexpected when Sora was talking to her friend.

_"Here, I almost took it with me,"_ Sora said getting out a small reddish tube and handing it back to Mia.

_"Oh, hey, I completely forgot about the cherry lip balm," _Mia said as she turned to Anna._ "At least she gave it back."_

Anna quickly defendedherself,_ "I told you I was sorry about the orange one, okay?" _

_ "Sora, you keep it. I had Anna buy me some more, anyways."_

_"Thanks," _Sora said, andgave her two good friends hugs before walking back to Layla's side.

**_Cherry!?_** Layla thought as she was being pushed to their gate, Cathy and Richard leading the way.

And like the last piece of the puzzle, she remembered why she had fallen asleep with that faint sweet taste in her mouth. It had come from that lip balm, and more importantly from Sora's own lips. As if to confirm her suspicions, she happened to turn around and spot Sora unconsciously wiping the bottom of her lip with her index finger.

**This can't be true!**

Layla quickly turned back around, barely able to contain her raging blush. Then like a punchline, what Thulani had told her about her journey came rushing to her thoughts. In her confusion, frustration and embarrassment, all she could think of was one thing-

**That damn dog!**

**

* * *

**

Hi there everyone,

Finally a new chapter is seeing the light of day. I hope people are still reading this and I'm sorry for those who were so anxious, your input really helped and kept me motivated, and probably also falling awake, who I have to say is doing a better and better job at refining what this type monkey produces.

It has been a long while indeed since the last chapter and I'm not trying to find excuses, but I've relocated to Germany for studies and since I've never really left my country adaptation took a lot longer than I had expected. But I'm settling in and hopefully will have time to put more into this story.

I apologize again for the wait, I get caught up in many other projects or now sustaining myself, but I won't stop until this is finished and it is far from finished.

If you enjoyed it, then leave a comment. Feedback is important in any project. I, of course, hope **have** enjoyed it, because that is the point. :P

PS: Some people have contacted me asking when new chapters will come out. I'm just wanted to say sorry to them, that it was not as soon as I could have made it.


	17. Chapter 17

_"I trust you will keep our little conversation a secret?" _Richard imposed rather than asked.

_"Yes, sir. I have not abandoned my loyalty towards the Hamilton family,"_ the girl reassured over her cell phone, while watching a digital readout telling her what floor she was on.

_"You make being Layla's friend so formal," _Richard said with a slight chuckle.

_"I didn't mean to sir; my apologies, sir."_

_"No I simply ... never mind." _Richard's sigh could be heard over the phone. _"Everything is set then?"_

_"Yes sir."_ She promptly confirmed quickly and firmly, just as she was taught by her mother who had been head maid for the Hamilton's for more than a decade.

_"And don't try to work against Sora in favor of Laya. She's the only one Layla will cave in and listen to."_

_"Yes sir. I'm sorry I can't ..."_

_"Don't worry. Barely anyone can tame this daughter of mine. My best advice is to team up with Sora, or better yet- help Sora in helping Layla."_

_"Yes sir."_

_"Should anything go wrong, please inform me."_

_"Yes sir."_

_"And report any expenses that might occur on her behalf."_

_"No sir."_

_"Pardon?"_

The elevator bell rang once and the door slid open. The girl briskly stepped and headed in a direction she knew by heart.

_"I'm sorry, but Layla has done so much for me, that I'm not open to talk about anything financial."_

Richard chuckled again, warmer this time. _"You've got quite a bit of your mother inside you after all. Good to see."_

_"Thank you, sir."_

_"Give your regards to my mother." _He sighed softly._ "Also, tell her how much I miss her top class assistance. Nowadays I change assistants every two months."_

_"I will relay to her your regards sir," _Macquarie said while ringing the bell to Layla's apartment.

_"Oh and one more thing..."_

_"Yes sir?"_

_"Layla has been through quite a lot. Try not to smother her."_

_"Yes sir. Of course. Good day sir." _Macquarie didn't even wait for his reply, ending the call.

The door to apartment 1601 opened.

_"Lay-la!"_ Macquarie cried out and made two leaping steps towards the other blonde sitting in her wheelchair.

Sora, whose nose would have been flattened by the door were it not for her trained reflexes, got a mighty jolt from the young girl's sudden and very loud entrance.

_"Are you alright? Does anything hurt? Are you hungry? Have you eaten?"_ Macquarie asked in rapid succession. She stood in front of the actress clasping her hands, then parted them like she wanted to tackle Layla, but she was fighting the urge with all the professionalism she had gained as a maid.

_"Calm down, Macquarie," _Layla said smiling, clearly overcome with the tidal wave of care that her friend had brought in with her._ "I'm alright," she reassured her._

_"I see," _Macquarie answered, while clasping her hands together and fidgeting slightly.

Finally, Layla got the message and opened her arms as wide as she could. Her loyal friend and former servant didn't waste a millisecond and hugged her furiously.

**Funny**, Layla thought, remembering when they were growing up how many times she had run to Macquarie after the smallest of incidents. The girl always had her arms out, waiting for Layla. The role reversal made her smile even more.

_"I hope you didn't have to worry too much," _Layla said after Macquarie had done her fair share squeezing the life out of her.

_"I didn't know until the whole thing was over; I don't know if I could have coped with waiting for something to happen, if I had been told."_

Her former maid got up as elegantly as she had been trained to. Not too fast and not to slow and with a constant smile. That's how Macquarie got around Layla, her habits and training mixed with her emotions almost every time.

She turned around and gazed appraisingly at Sora who remained by the door._ "Sora..." _Macquarie took two swift steps towards the Japanese girl.

The focused expression on the young girl's face made Sora feel uneasy, and she nervously extended a hand and did a quarter bow, but before she could mutter a flimsy 'hello', Macquarie lunged at her. The blonde knew that Sora was in good health, and used up all the left over energy she held back when hugging Layla. Had she come any faster or stronger, they would probably have gone through the wall behind them.

After a few moments, Macquarie pulled back with her hands still on Sora's shoulders and turned her head towards Layla.

"_I think I should go buy some groceries. You're probably out of fresh food," _she said in a somewhat flat tone, as if seeing Layla in a wheelchair wasn't unsettling for her. Then she squeezed Sora's right shoulder, a gesture which she knew Layla wouldn't see.

Sora got the message or at least thought she did and quickly added, _"I should probably help you. I don't know the area yet, and you can show me!"_

"_Great idea!" _Macquarie said again in the same oddly detached tone._ "If you'll excuse us for a bit?"_

"_Of course. Take your time," _Layla said not really getting the sudden tension that her former servant and lifelong friend implanted into Sora. It was probably the exhausting flight.

"_Are you sitting comfortably or would you like to be seated on the couch, or would you prefer to retire for tonight and be put to bed?"_

"_Couch will be fine. I think I can do it -"_

"_Please, let me help you," _Macquarie offered, having almost completely reverted to her servant personality._ "No need to waste your energy on anything else than healing."_

After Layla was now comfortably seated on the couch, and left to relax and listen to music or watch TV, the former servant grabbed Sora by the hand swiftly as she headed out the door.

"_We'll be back shortly,"_ Sora barely said, as she was yanked outside.

Macquarie led them towards and into the elevator quite fast. Only after the door behind them had slid shut did she finally let go of Sora's hand to press the button that would take them to the lobby. Macquarie stood facing away from Sora for a few moments, but finally turned around and faced the confused girl.

"_I'm sorry,"_ she said.

"_For what?"_ asked Sora.

"_What do you mean, 'for what?'" _Macquarie said annoyed. _"I just totally lost it back there. And I'm not sure I can help myself right now either. I'm just … you are … Argh! God, how can I put this?"_

Sora tried to figure out how to handle the girl next to her, but before she could even open her mouth, Macquarie began to explain.

"_Look. Here's the best way I can say it. I'm grateful that you saved Layla. I probably would have lost control if I had been in your position. But at the same time I'm angry. You are here to help her and you'll do your best, I'm sure of that. But to put it bluntly- you're completely unprepared. And don't interrupt me saying that you'll 'try as hard as you can.'" _

She raised a hand before Sora could say anything in reply.

"_I know that you love Layla in your own way as much as I do in mine. In fact, I am grateful that you are her friend and have helped her get even stronger as a human being with feelings. And I'm not jealous because of that. In fact, even though this is an unfortunate situation, I hope we will become friends, because you've earned my respect a long time ago."_

She stopped to take catch her breath.

"_But, if you asked me…dared me … to name the one thing that I know no one is better at than me, it would be serving Layla."_

After Macquarie explained her position, silence reigned in the elevator all the way until they reached the ground floor and exited into the lobby.

Sora understood that Macquarie could be selfish in regards to Layla, but at the same time had to think about what it meant to grow up serving someone, and being a constant companion, not because of money or status, but out of care and by the time they made it out onto the busy streets, Sora had found her reply.

Sora put her hand on Macquarie's shoulder gently._ "I'm happy that you are here. I was scared beyond belief that I would not be able to help Layla recover. But with you here I have confidence. So let's help her together?"_

"_Deal," _Macquarie said smiling.

Sora understood just what a big part of her life Layla had been and still was to Macquarie, and even though Layla had Sora to care for her now, it was just natural for the other girl to be just as involved. Both girls realized that this was something neither of them could ever do alone.

A couple of minutes later, the two girls were walking and chatting in high spirits, as if a showdown over Layla had never even occurred…or at least was temporarily forgotten.

"_I'll show you an easy route where you can pick up enough groceries and other things to last you for a few days."_

"_That would be great."_

"_Also, you're new here, so let's make a few things clear. Always be careful and on guard. It's quite an expensive area so it attracts all kinds of people. Cape Mary is a nice little district, but here other ... rules apply. You also don't know anyone, so don't go around trusting people. I know you're probably the nice and helpful sort, but try not to be so naïve."_

"_I'll keep that in mind." _Sora didn't really have to be told to be on guard, after all on her first day in Cape Mary, her suitcase was stolen from right underneath her.

They entered an average looking supermarket that was some distance away, and started down the aisles with a shopping cart.

"_This is pretty much the best store around here as far as the price-quality ratio goes. Even if Layla doesn't have monetary concerns, it doesn't mean that you should spend carelessly. This is, of course, not a place where you should ever bring Layla to. You can never foresee how some people interpret things, so it's best not to take risks."_

Macquarie had picked out most of the groceries, while Sora added a few things here and there.

Sora thought it was best to let the other girl do her thing since she was basically showing her around and giving her advice on how best to care for Layla in her absence.

After paying, both girls left the store, bags in hand.

Macquarie led them back, but took different routes, showing the girl different restaurants._ "Besides cooking, you can eat out at some places if time is short, or if Layla is in the mood, or if it had been a long day at the show. Layla knows the locales. Always take the taxis or a driver if Mr. Hamilton makes one available."_

Sora looked worried in that regard and Macquarie noticed.

_"Don't worry about not getting a cab in New York, because if you call from the phone in Layla's apartment, or her cell phone, you'll be sure to get a cab."_

The former Kaleido Star considered this advice for a minute and raised an eyebrow._ "What are you implying?"_

_"I don't know the details of it, and it's not my place, but I'm sure Mr. Hamilton contracts certain cabbies to take around his clients, business partners, and such."_

Macquarie was really fired up about giving out all the hints she found the most relevant at the time. Stopping at a specific building, she explained its significance.

"_This is where the doctor's office is. Layla has gone to him a few times before with minor stuff. He'll have some specialists on hand to handle Layla's injuries."_

"… _So don't worry about the bills getting paid. It's mostly done through Mr. Hamilton. Hm... And I think that's all I can tell you for now. You have my number if anything happens, right?"_

"_Yeah," _Sora scratched her head. _"Wow, a lot to take in. I hope I'll get used to this quickly."_

"_Don't worry too much. I think you'll be fine now. I'll come by twice per week to give the whole apartment a light turn, but it pisses me off that I can't be here more. Off Broadway has really taken a big chunk out of my life. I love it of course … Oh yeah, I almost forgot."_

She paused to avoid a puddle.

_"You'll have to get Layla to her meetings; they are usually with Cathy. She will then arrange for more meetings with producers and staff. Layla might not act like it, but she is still officially Cathy's partner, so she will have to attend too. Then there's the high society meet-and-greets and other social events Mr. Hamilton will arrange to benefit the Hamilton reputation and status._

_Using your daughter as a front is quite common in the business world. Layla doesn't particularly like the last kind of event, but she has to do her part. Apart from that, you'll have most of the week free so try to not let Layla get too bored."_

"_Would watching movies, or going to some places be alright?"_

"_Yes, although nothing too tiring. Movies are good, although rarely rent an action movie. After Layla worked in a couple of them, she didn't get particularly fond of them. She does like some slower paced movies with great payoff, but good acting is what she likes the most. Old movies are a pretty good bet. Oh! And adaptations of fairy tales are also a favorite of hers."_

"_Hmm, I think I'll ask Anna about some. She knows some titles like that. She's seen quite a lot of movies."_

"_Anna is the tall one who always tries to be a comedian right?"_

"_Yeah," _Sora laughed a bit.

"_Anyway, that's all I can do for you at the moment."_

"_I'm very grateful."_

"_Oh, one more thing," _Macquarie paused trying to think of the best way to say it._ "It isn't that Layla doesn't like medicine. She'll take it on her own most of the time if you don't press her. However, she has quite a strict treatment this time, so if push comes to shove- you'll have to hide it in her food."_

Sora smirked at that remark.

"_I'm dead serious."_ Macquarie said, barely hiding a smile. They both imagined Layla pouting, refusing to take her medicine.

"_I'll keep that in mind." _Sora said as they stepped onto the block of Layla's apartment.

Finally after over an hour being gone, Macquarie and Sora made it back to the apartment and headed towards the elevator. Macquarie had just about given all the advice she could think of to survive for the first few days.

"_So, now that we got all of that out of the way, may I ask you some questions?"_ asked the blonde girl as the elevator began its ascent.

"_Sure…" _Sora said a bit surprised of the sudden change of topic.

"_Just how is life at the Kaleido Stage? And being at the top?"_

"_Well..." _Sora stopped to think for a moment before answering._ "Not much has changed ever since I started. Even if you are the lead in a production officially, you get paid equal to the work you put in. Whenever we're not rehearsing, we train and try to work out our differences mostly."_

"_Huh … that's it? Layla's schedule always seemed so busy when she was at that Stage. Meetings and things."_

"_Oh yeah… I rarely get called to those. Kalos once said that every Kaleido Star shapes the stage in their own way, so maybe that's why some things are different. If you ask me, we are just lucky that everyone gets along so well."_

Macquarie laughed._ "That's just how you made it. I think when Layla was the lead performer she inspired everyone by doing the most difficult things herself."_

"_Yeah, I suppose. When Layla was with us, she was always so dependable and could motivate us with the slightest of words. Were it not for her I probably would not be where I am today."_

"_Neither would I," _Macquarie added._ "She really is something special. You're very good too, by the way. I've never really had the chance to tell you like this, from one acrobat to another."_

Sora blushed a little._ "Thanks. I'm nothing special though."_

"_You're too modest, but maybe you are right. I mean you weren't born talented, you trained and trained. If I think about it, you're an American dream come true. I hope that you'll stop by Off Broadway with Layla when you have the chance, and show us some of your techniques. It's been a while since you paid a visit. Layla will probably tell you how she's trying to get the actors there to communicate with their bodies. I'm probably the best at it" _she added smugly._ "…I even learned the Angel's Act."_

"_What!" _the Kaleido star exclaimed._ "I mean, how did you?-"_

"_What do you think?" _asked the former maid getting even smugger._ "The same way Layla did. She even asked Yuri to perform it with me for her, because I wasn't convinced I had really mastered it. Of course I mostly learned the trick. But when you performed the Angel's Act during Swan Lake…it was more than a stunt."_

"_Well... then maybe you should act on the Kaleido Stage," _Sora said as if it were the next logical step.

"_What!"_ Macquarie blushed,_ "I could never do that. My place is here, I mean Off-Broadway!"_

"_I'm not so sure about that. From the sounds of it, Layla has been training you for more … a lot more."_

"_I-I don't think so," the other girl stammered, "I could never …"_

"_I think you could, and I think you will," _Sora said with confidence. _"Why don't you ask Cathy next time she works with the Kaleido Stage?"_

Macquarie thought about it for a while in silence. When she finally decided, she realized the elevator door was opened and Sora had her bags in arm, waiting outside for the other girl to follow. She quickly grabbed her bags and joined Sora. They entered the apartment and headed towards the kitchen. Layla, probably bored was napping quietly where they left her.

"_Alright! On one condition,"_ Macquarie said, holding up her pointer finger.

Sora wasn't sure how reluctant she should be. Macquarie seemed nice enough, but she wasn't a pushover. Oh well, one has to take risks sometime._ "Name it."_

"_You perform with us on Off Broadway at least once while you're staying here."_

"_Hmm …" _Sora audibly murmured, faking really considering it. Performing was still a big part of her life, so she couldn't really refuse it as much as a painter could refuse a fresh canvas._ "Deal," _she said and they shook on it.

After putting the groceries away, Macquarie showed Sora where all the appliances were and helped her set up the items for that evening's meal. She then left the two for the evening, because she still had some training, something which Sora found odd, but Off Broadway had a more unpredictable schedule than Kaleido Stage.

Taking a look around the kitchen, Sora gave a deep breath as she gathered her courage. She was going to cook for a friend, not to mention a world-famous celebrity. Soon she was chopping, and stirring with confidence, having found support in Macquarie. Sora felt a lot more confident, but paradoxically more anxious, because now she was alone with Layla again and couldn't rely on the former maid.

Lots of questions went through her head while she was cooking, like what they would talk about or what would happen if Layla didn't like the food; perhaps she should turn the TV on as a distraction? Or maybe Layla was the type that wanted silence during a meal.

Sora dished out a portion and brought it out to Layla. She was now awake and gazing at the sunset through the apartment's huge windows.

"_That smells wonderful, Sora." _said Layla turning her attention to her as the girl placed the plate and utensils within reach.

"_Is there anything else you need?" _asked the Japanese girl, silently hoping the dinner she made tasted as good as it smelled.

"_Just a glass of iced tea, please."_

Sora quickly brought it out to her and retreated back to the kitchen as Layla began to eat. After a few minutes, Layla realized Sora was not coming out to join her.

"_Sora." _

"_Yes?"_ answered the girl.

"_Is everything all right?"_

"_Yes, why do you ask?" _Sora said with some hesitation.

"_How can I complement the chef if she's not out here to enjoy the meal with me?"_

"_Oh!" _Sora got the message, and as carefully as she could, brought her own dinner and sat next to Layla…of course with some respectable distance.

They ate and made small-talk, mostly about Macquarie showing Sora around the neighborhood. After dinner was finished, they watched TV for a bit, but Layla started yawning.

"_Would you like to go to bed?" _Sora asked.

Layla yawned again, Sora also did this time._ "I think so."_

"_Alright, then you need to take your medicine and you'll be set."_

Sora put the pills she had to take in front of her. Layla looked at them and couldn't hide the disgust on her face. She didn't know how they tasted; they barely had a smell, but in her mind she could already prescribe them a nasty, bitter taste.

"_I really hate taking medicine, especially after a good meal. It washes out the taste."_

Sora gushed inside at the compliment. She may not be the best cook, but May had taught her a few things, and Rosetta still relied on her when she got bored of the few dishes she knew to make herself. But besides flattery, Sora also imagined hearing Layla try to weasel herself out of taking her medicine. She scratched that thought quickly, but damn that Macquarie for putting that cute image in her head.

"_Well," _Sora said,_ "The medicine won't do you any good if you take in on an empty stomach."_

"_I suppose."_

So down the medicine went and Layla did her best to hide the chalky taste some of them had.

"_Ok, let's go to bed," _Layla said with another yawn, before stopping to ask,_ "Wait, where will you sleep?"_

"_The couch looks comfy."_

"_Are you sure? I could get you a room in this hotel,"_ Layla suggested, giving this more concern than she should.

"_No, no. That won't be necessary. Plus I have to be close by should you need anything."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Don't worry. I couldn't sleep if I was so far away from you anyway." _**Woah, that came out so wrong!** Sora hoped that Layla didn't catch that slip.

Layla didn't seem to have noticed as Sora helped her get tucked into bed. She placed the wheelchair beside the bed, before checking that everything else was in order.

"_I put a bottle of water on your nightstand in case you get thirsty during the night. And if there's anything you need, either shout for me, or call me on my phone in case I don't hear."_

"_Thank you."_

"_Is there anything you want before going to bed?"_

"_No. I'm fine."_

"_Don't hesitate to ask, whatever it is."_

Layla couldn't help but smile at Sora's genuine concern. _"I'm pretty sure I can survive through the night."_

"_Alright," _Sora said, closing the door as gently as she could, but then quickly opening it again, startling Layla. Sora had forgotten to say one last thing.

"_Good night."_

A little surprised, Layla smiled nervously and replied,_ "G-good night,"_ as she gripped the bed sheet on reflex.

Sora closed the door even more careful than before and cursed herself for acting so impulsively.

Getting back into the living room, Sora was not as tired as she first thought, and looked at the dark couch. She didn't want to admit it to Layla, because it seemed irrelevant at the time, but the couch was awfully comfy. Not only that, Sora loved crashing on the couch, especially after a hard day of training. She thought it weird, but she really looked forward to sleeping on this expensive couch, and as soon as she got a pillow and a blanket, she was almost instantly rendered immovable by the soft cushions.

After she settled in, she watched about an hour of TV until her exhaustion caught up with her. Usually she would play the day's events in her head around this time, but tonight she was way too tired and quickly fell asleep.

Some hours into the night, the moon surfaced over a nearby skyscraper and added a stronger glow to the ambient lighting coming from the nightlife below. Layla turned away from it, her injuries giving her a bit of pain, but then she realized this lunar awakening coincided with her having to go to the toilet.

The problem that Sora had not anticipated, was that Layla would readily help herself to water during the night if it was within easy reach, and Sora had indeed left a bit too much.

Layla sat up and tried to move her legs, but the pain in her legs combined with her urge were just too much. She wanted to hold out until morning, but she was in too vulnerable and tired a state to exert her willpower over her own body, so she reluctantly starting calling for her friend.

_"Sora?"_ she tried quietly at first, not totally wanting to wake the girl, but she really had to go. When that didn't work she called a bit louder. As she was about to call Sora on her cellphone- not wanting to actually shout, but also not being able to bear it any longer, she heard Sora's footsteps rapidly coming towards her door. She also heard what she thought was Sora stubbing her toe somewhere then hopping on the remaining way on one leg_._

_"Yes? Is there something you need?"_

_"Yes… I need to go to the toilet," _said with no little embarrassment.

_"Ok. Let me get your wheelchair."_

After Sora helped Layla onto the chair, and then the toilet, she stopped for a moment to realize that Layla couldn't pull down her own pants, and didn't even let her try.

Before Layla knew what was happening, and therefore could not protest, Sora impulsively pulled Layla's pajama bottoms down. That only left the underwear, but Layla found her voice, and hurriedly reassured the anxious Sora.

_"That's ok. I can handle this myself," _she said and Sora excused herself.

_"I'll be outside."_

**Of course you'll be outside your nimrod! Where else would be you be? **Sora cursed herself again.** And what was that just now? Taking off her pants without asking. You practically stripped Layla!**

Fortunately for both of them, it was fairly easy for Layla to take off her underwear, even if it took a bit longer. However, now Layla was left with a huge amount of embarrassment and just couldn't get herself to go. She was close to wetting herself before and now of all times she couldn't perform.

It was probably the thought of Sora waiting outside, and the Kaleido Star thought about that too, so after a moment she went to sit on the couch and turned on the television so that Layla could feel at ease.

The minute Sora heard the toilet flush however she got up and rushed towards the door almost telepathically sensing when Layla would call for her.

After a few awkward apologies, the whole ordeal was over with, and both girls went to bed trying to fight their embarrassment before falling asleep.

Sora especially tried to rationalize her actions. It was even odder to her, considering she had taken care of Rosetta during some pretty rough times when the redhead got sick. They had even bathed together a few times. If Sora thought about it more, she realized just how much of a big sister she had become for Rosetta. Going off on this tangent helped Sora calm herself, but now that she was on a roll she was starting to see and understand how Rosetta was growing up and maturing before her eyes.

Sora began reminiscing about one time in particular, when little one had had a very high fever. Were it not for May could, the situation could have been much worse.

It was at that time that May recognized the seriousness of the fever and stripped the young girl naked and placed her into the tub. May then locked the door and let Rosetta's fever go down, filling the bath with water and adjusting its temperature constantly. Apart from that, she kept hearing May forcing Rosetta to drink lots of water.

During that time, Sora could hear Rosetta being uncomfortable and yelling at May quite harshly, telling her that she hated her. Oddly, May kept her cool and later, after Rosetta had gotten better, had apologized to May and thanked her for helping her get through the scary experience. The amount of control May had during that time was astounding considering her usual hot temper.

And after the initial scare was over, she remembered with amusement some of the quirky sounds Rosetta had made as May forced some skin-ship upon her; some of the retorts May had given her to calm the redhead's fiery anger, were quite funny.

In the end, Sora had to admit how amazing of a person May could be in these kinds of circumstances. She had to acknowledge that being the oldest sister to quite a few siblings gave one quite a few remarkable skills. And with these thoughts running through her head Sora regained the peace to fall asleep, hoping that she could handle Layla just as well...

_

* * *

_I hope people enjoyed this chapter as much as I had fun writing it.

I apologize for updating so often, but college has kept me busy pretty much constantly.

Big thanks go to **Falling Awake** for editing!

Also thanks for the comments and the PM's whether or not I would continue. Rest assured that I will finish it! I hope at least I will move faster than a glacier in the future.

I will however say, that the next chapter will have to be put on hold because finals are coming.

Please leave your comments and thoughts for me and Falling Awake to let us know how we are doing ;)

edit: fixed the formatting

edit2: ff is acting wonky now, not registering all my changes


	18. Chapter 18

"Are you lost little one?" a deep voice questioned from the unknown.

"I'm not sure," Layla said uncertainly. Her voice did not seem to be coming from her. "I've been here before."

"Really?" the same voice asked. It was closer.

"Yes, I'm sure now. Those trees in the distance, I remember those. And this sunset; such a pretty orange."

"It is. What are you doing here?"

"Waiting..." Layla said cautiously, her voice getting higher pitched and younger with each word.

"For who? Is your Mommy coming for you?" the voice asked as the sunset darkened.

"No, my Mommy isn't coming."

"Oh?"

"She hates me for how I talked to her when she was sick. It's why she's not coming back. But, my friends are coming for me though."

"Are you sure?" The voice replied, in a gravely, almost growling voice.

A terrible wind started howling, and the sky was no longer a peaceful sunset, but a chilling blood red. It was almost black. Layla became aware of her body as a searing pain coursed up her legs.

"Yes. My friends will find me. I'm sure!" Layla cried through the pain.

"Wrong little one." And in an instant, the full body of a lion appeared in from of her, its huge front legs standing around her injured ones. "I've found you first!"

Before Layla could even think to react, the lion's huge mouth opened, bearing sharp teeth. And it headed straight for her.

Layla quickly shot up and gasped for air. Clutching the bed sheets to her chest, she remained frozen with terror, the sound of her heavy breathing the only noise in the room. She tried moving her legs, but the pain was too strong.

"Damn it!" she cursed and dropped back onto her bed, hoping the pain would subside.

Sora ran into the room. "Are you alright?"

Layla was in too much pain to answer, and was holding her forearm over her eyes to fight back the tears.

"Layla, are you alright?" Sora repeated, getting even more worried at the other girl's silence.

"I'm fine," Layla said tiredly after a moment. _I must have moved my legs more than I thought_. "My legs ..."

"Wait. Let me get your medicine." Sora got a glass of water and the prescribed pills.

Layla sat up once more, took the items from Sora, and swallowed them down without any complaints this time.

"It's no wonder your legs hurt. At least the doctor said the pills work, are strong and take effect fast."

"Yes, it hasn't hurt so badly until now."

"You look much better today though; much stronger," Sora said confidently. "Which is good considering you've slept for sixteen hours straight."

"What? Layla exclaimed, disbelievingly. She rolled onto her side and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand. "It's almost four pm?"

"Well, we did go to bed a bit late last night. So what would you like for break -er...lunch?"

"Anything is fine, but I need to clean up first."

"Ok. Let me run your bath."

"Thank you," Layla said falling back onto her pillow, intending to laze around a bit until her bath was ready. She didn't particularly feel like doing anything at the moment. She knew that she had to meet her doctor today. She hoped that his diagnosis would be good. Last night she did strain her legs during the whole bathroom incident, so she was determined to not strain them at all today. The medicine was starting to take effect and although she had not eaten anything yet, it was relaxing her.

Layla turned to the huge bay window and gazed at the late afternoon sun, but her attention was on Sora. She listened to the other girl move about the bathroom, splashing the water around in the bath to spread the hot water. Shortly after that, she heard Sora pad down the hallway into the kitchen, clanging cooking ware and opening and shutting cupboards in preparation for a late afternoon meal. Just as Layla began to doze off, Sora came back into the room.

"Bath's ready," Sora called, then ran off quickly to take a frying pan off the stove.

When Sora came back she saw Layla struggling to sit up. "Here let me help you."

Almost above all things, Layla hated feeling helpless. She started to fluster because she had no idea how she was going to do this. In her morning doziness, she had forgotten that she couldn't dress or in this case, undress herself completely without assistance.

Sora was thinking the same thing, _and_ she wouldn't be dissuaded this time. Layla would accept her help if she wanted it or not. With determination, Sora reached under the blonde, and lifted her up bridle style, and carried her all the way to the bathroom amidst half-hearted protests coming from the former Kaleido Star.

Sora gently, although a little shakily, set Layla down on the ledge of the bathtub.

"Uh ... could you remove your shirt yourself?" Sora asked, trying to retain her composure. "There's a towel there, so you can cover yourself."

Without a word, Layla looked to her left and saw said towel, then noticed the bath was full of bubbles. _So that's what the splashing was about,_ she mused. Layla sighed; they couldn't go on like this. It just made things painfully awkward.

"No, don't worry. I trust you not to look," Layla said, trying to make a joke to break up the tension. Although, by Sora's reaction, it did the exact opposite.

"Oh. Ok," Sora said shyly. She turned away, giving Layla some privacy. Unfortunately, both girls were in tight quarters and Sora didn't need much of an imagination to know what Layla was doing. She could swear she could hear slender fingers on soft fabric and the distinct swish of a shirt being removed.

"I..uh…have to get your pants off, " Sora said turning back around, but looking to the side, making sure not to see anything. _This is bad. I can't keep doing this. I need to relax. It's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm only helping her. Think that it's Rosetta instead of Layla! _she thought. Too late, all she could think of was Layla. Layla with no shirt. Layla soon to be naked.

But Sora _had_ to see what she was about to do, so she chanced a glance, and maybe it had been better for Layla to just be naked for this, because the short glimpse she got of Layla with her left arm covering her breasts was just too naughty for her. She decided to move as fast as she could, and in a split second she yanked down Layla's pants and underwear in one go.

Layla gasped at Sora's quick movements, and could only cover her lower self with her right hand, while her left arm remained over her breasts.

Sora lifted her up once more, and damned her peripheral vision and her other senses for that matter. She could see Layla's beautiful pale skin, she could feel Layla's warm body underneath her arms, and she could smell Layla's natural scent. It was too much for the Kaleido Star, and as soon as Layla was safe in the cover of pink bubbles, she excused herself.

Growing up in Japan, sometimes Sora was taken to the local public bathhouse, where being naked was no big deal. She was taught that there wasn't anything wrong with it. And like many children her age, she used to bathe with her parents. Before, she would have never bathed in a bathroom that had a toilet in it. That frame of mind changed since she came to the US.

But she did teach Rosetta how to bathe the Japanese way and bathed with her at times as they grew very close. Sora simply saw Rosetta as her little sister and had no problems with it. She'd call it "skin-ship" and Rosetta would smirk, because of how someone French-raised would interpret it much differently. If it had been Mia or Anna, it wouldn't have been a problem either. May was the least problematic in that regard as she often ventured to the Lotus, a bathhouse she fancies.

Sora had to think of a better way to help Layla in that regard. But Layla was different, she wasn't Rosetta or May. Instead, Layla was like royalty to Sora, or at least the closest thing she's ever come to it. Layla was simply untouchable at times even when they were together.

"But we also have strong bonds to each other; no matter what."

On stage, both stars were open books to each other, and could sense each other's emotions and movements for the best possible outcome. But removed from the raw adrenaline of the stage and away from the sights and sounds of a show, they could never be just Sora and Layla- two friends.

"I just have to get used to Layla and she to me. That's it; slow and steady."

But inside the bathroom, Layla already thought that she had waited long enough. She wanted to solve the problem today, in the next few minutes if she could. It was all she could think about as she washed herself.

She submerged herself in the water to wet her hair and stayed that way for a while. Holding her breath like that quickly reminded her of the horrible feeling she had upon awaking from her nightmare. It had been quite emotional, and recalling the moment the lion pounced upon her, she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest.

Layla came up for air. _I thought I had dealt with that,_ Layla thought with disappointment of what she had said about her mother. She sighed.

_Great, now my fears from then and now are coming together. Need to stop thinking about it!_ she thought with disgust while shampooing her long hair.

_Back to the problem at hand._

Just how would she deal with Sora's shyness towards her? She needed Sora's help, and for that she had to be accepted by her, warts and all. There was only one way they could both overcome their combined nervousness once and for all, and Layla was going to do this before she could talk herself out of it.

"Sora, I'm done," Layla called out.

The lavender haired girl entered the bathroom, and upon seeing her charge topless and staring straight at her, immediately averted her eyes elsewhere, a deep blush evident on her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry! I should have knocked!"

"No, Sora! Turn around! We won't be able to get through this if we don't get this out of the way."

"But I ..." Sora started.

"No buts! Turn around!"

With a hand covering her eyes, Sora turned to face the blonde. She peaked just a bit through her fingers and the first thing she saw was Layla's cold stern gaze and that slight upturn of her lips when expectations weren't met with perfection. The signature look was more intimidating than Sora remembered, and she immediately felt young and naïve, like the rookie performer she had once been.

"We have to get over this! Understood?"

"Yes!" Sora squeaked.

"Now, you'll look at me until you are comfortable with seeing me naked."

Sora nodded nervously, and Layla did her best not to let her friend's gaze embarrass her. Layla remained focused on Sora, challenging her to look away. Noticing Sora's eyes leave her own and travel slightly down, then back up again, Layla began to smirk. It was very small, but Layla caught the movement.

After a few moments of silence, Sora inhaled deeply, and turned around to lean heavily against the wide open bathroom door, the coolness from the outside calming her down.

"I can't do it. It's just too embarrassing."

_Was she holding her breath?_ Layla wondered. "I'm the one naked and you're embarrassed?"

That remark just tickled Sora, and she began to giggle before breaking out in full laughter. She turned around and found Layla shaking her head, but chuckling in amusement. "Ok, I'm fine now," she said wiping her tears away. "Let's get you out of the bath before you catch a cold."

And tension that had built up between the two girls from the previous night and earlier had dispelled. For now. Sora helped Layla onto a bathroom chair and offered her a towel. After the blonde finished, she tied the towel around herself and let Sora once again lift her up, taking her to the vanity in her room. Sora went back and began searching the cabinets for something, until Layla caught on.

"Oh, no, I don't like using a hair-dryer." Layla said.

"Ok," Sora said. "Let me at least comb your hair."

Layla didn't object, instead she leaned slightly forward to give Sora access to her blonde locks.

"Your hair has grown quite a bit, hasn't it?"

"Yes. I had to get it trimmed a few times, though."

"Wow, it barely tangles."

Sora made sure to be very careful not to pull on Layla's hair. The blonde was very impressed with Sora's delicate touch and felt at ease in her care.

In turn, Sora could feel Layla relax and met her gaze with a smile in the large mirror.

"Ok, all done," Sora announced. "Wait, something's not right," she said, realizing that she had been combing on automatic. Both girls had been too entranced by the moment to notice the obvious mistake.

Layla chuckled softly. "I split my bangs and part my hair on the other side."

"Oh right! My mistake," Sora apologized. "I guess I did it how I usually do it." She also realized that she did the same to Rosetta, except that Rosetta's bangs could never be tamed.

Sora tried to fix it to how Layla usually wore it, but the blonde objected. "No, leave it like this. We have to get going."

After that, Sora helped Layla get dressed in a simple v-neck and a skirt, before eating a quick lunch of chicken pasta.

"So how are we going to get to the doctor?" Sora asked.

"Well ... my Father doesn't have any important meetings or public appearances so his driver is probably free. Let me call him. Oh, before I forget, could you get the medical papers I got in Cairo?"

Sora simply nodded and took care of it while Layla made the call from her cell phone.

"Hello, it's me Layla," she said smiling. "He told you already, didn't he? Yes, the doctor's office."

Layla hung up and turned the wheelchair towards the door. "Let's go, Simon's outside waiting for us."

Sora immediately panicked upon hearing that. "What? He's been waiting? Why didn't anyone tell us? Is he mad at us? Should I apologize? I mean, I held us up."

"Sora, relax. My father had assigned him to drive us today. He was down in the parking lot cleaning the car. He doesn't mind, anyway. He's a real sweet guy," Layla informed Sora as they headed towards the elevators.

"Really?" Sora asked a little unsure.

"Yes. Once when I was little, and my Father had to go to a meeting right after I had gymnastic practice, he left me to wait in the car. Simon kept me company the entire time, and even drove to get me an ice-cream even though my Father told him not to move."

"Oh, that's so sweet."

"Told you," Layla said with a slight smile as they entered the elevator. "He's also Macquarie's uncle."

"What?"

"Well, my family and hers have known each other for a very long time."

"I see."

As they exited the elevator into the parking garage, Simon the family chauffer was waiting for them. Standing at attention, but with a wide grin, he wore a pressed black suit and white gloves. Were it not for the sea captain hat, Sora would have mistaken him for some big-time business executive.

He took off his hat and gloves to greet them.

"Ah Layla! It's been too long, kiddo," Simon beamed as he hugged her. "Causing trouble again are we?"

"I've missed you too. By the way, Simon this is Sora."

"Ah, Miss Naegino -our little hero." He shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you." Sora said with a slight blush at his praise.

"All right, please help Miss Layla onto her seat, while I fold this chair and stow it away."

After everyone got settled in the black car, they took off, but not as quickly as Sora had expected. This was still New York so traffic conditions were volatile to say the least.

After exiting the parking garage, Simon threw his hat in the passenger seat, and also loosened his tie and put on some shades.

"We should be there in 15 minutes. There was a traffic accident just a while ago, and they are still sorting it out. People this day I swear ..."

Layla smiled. "That's why I bike to work; less hassle."

"Right, like when you cut me off on Maiden and Water?"

"C'mon, you're still going to be mad about that?" Layla teased.

"I just don't think my resume should have, 'running over my boss's daughter' next to, 'good with people and always punctual'."

He chuckled, and then looked over to Sora through the rearview mirror. "You've been staring at me quite intensely Miss Naegino. Is there something you would like to ask me?"

" Uh, no... I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"C'mon don't be shy. Talk, I hate silence while driving."

"Don't mind me. I was just ..."

"Yes?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way. But I had expected someone older."

Simon chuckled. "New to this, eh? I guess next you'll be asking me if I was that bald guy in that Transporter movie to which I reply 'no'. I only shaved my head because it gets hot around here. But to answer the first question, I guess movies did popularize the trope of the loyal old man driver, but I don't see how anyone but the toughest could do this job."

"Is it that difficult?" Sora asked being taken in by Simon's confidence.

"Well, let's just say that I used to do some crazy things with cars, and even _that _didn't prepare me for some of the more _aggressive_ stuff I've had to do while taking around VIP's."

Sora gulped audibly.

"Don't worry. Mr. Hamilton never had any severe problems, but he likes to be cautious, and knows how to get the best that money can buy. But some of the stuff I went through with some European clients… let's just say that I have very high work conditions." He winked at Sora, but didn't elaborate.

Sora was just stunned by his calm demeanor. Simon on the other hand, was very proud of his exploits, and was very tempted to share it. It wasn't everyday he could impress a cute girl.

"Take this car for example. Mr. Hamilton not only met my standards, but surpassed them. This car is not only bullet-resistant to military grade ammunition, but also has an IED-proof bottom. It's also fire-resistant, has puncture-proof tires, and the reason why this car seems small on the inside is the roll cage built into it."

"A regular fortress…" Sora said nervously, thinking of when those features might ever come in handy.

"But that's not the best part. To get a high profile driver like me to sign up with him, Mr. Hamilton had to put in a few perks as well to draw me in. Such as-"

"Oh boy here we go." Layla said plugging her ears.

"The sound system!" The inside of the car instantly filled with strong bass music. Sora felt her ribcage vibrate like she was at a concert and the speakers were right next to her face, which they were.

Mercifully turning the volume down, Simon then added, "that's the second reason for the bulletproof windows."

"What?" Sora asked.

"Regular windows would pop out!"

"What?" Sora asked again. Her ears were ringing and she was trying to clear them.

"I think you deafened her," said Layla, who could've warned Sora, but chose not to.

"Really? I thought all kids liked this music."

"What?" Sora asked again, her hearing starting to return now.

Simon and Layla both laughed. They weren't trying to be mean, but messing with Sora was too fun.

After a while, Sora's ears weren't ringing anymore, but she was left with a small headache.

"Sorry. I just don't have the chance to show the car off anymore. I mean look at this," he pointed at the central console dividing the front seats, "the volume dial actually goes to eleven. Oh hey, look at that. We're already there." He pulled into the underground parking garage.

"Ok, let's unload the cargo," Simon joked, getting the wheelchair out and setting it up.

As they were getting Layla into the wheelchair, a young blonde woman, shorter than Sora came up to greet them.

"Ms. Hamilton?"

"Oh, hello."

"Hello, Ms. Hamilton. I'm Kimberly Austin, Dr. Cawak's assistant." She turned to Sora. "And you must be Ms. Hamilton's caretaker?"

Sora nodded.

"What, no love for the driver?" Simon said closing the trunk.

"I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to–"

"Don't mind him, he's just teasing," assured Layla.

Sora really liked his carefree persona and had to remember that despite being Macquarie's uncle, he looked very young so there was probably a considerable age gap between him and Macquarie's father.

Simon winked at Kimberly, before disappearing back into the car. The young assistant froze up for a moment. "Uh, follow me please. I'll take you to the doctor's office." She led them to an elevator that would take them to the correct floor.

"Oh, no! I forgot to ask him what his name was!" Kimberly looked absolutely distraught as she turned toward Sora, "You too! How rude of me!"

"Don't worry," the Japanese girl said as the elevator started moving. "I'm Sora."

"And I'd prefer it if you called me Layla if you don't mind."

"Got it." Kimberly looked at Sora for a moment, squinted her eyes, while trying to remember something. Then it came to her. "'Sora' is Japanese. Means, 'sky' right?"

"That's right!" Sora said enthusiastically as they got out on the right floor and headed down the hallway into a large small waiting area. It had cushioned chairs lined against the walls, magazines on the coffee tables and a flat-screen TV playing the Weather Channel. Soft music could be heard throughout the room.

"Are you originally from Ja-"

"Kimberly!" an older male voice shouted impatiently. "Stop wasting the patient's time with small talk."

"Sorry, Dr. Cawak." She prompted Sora to push Layla into the next office and then followed after them.

"This is Layla and her assistant Sora. They are your five pm."

"What did I tell you about addressing patients so casually?" the man scolded as he held out his hand expectantly towards his assistant. After a moment, she realized it was her cue to hand over the medical file she had been keeping under her arm the whole time.

"But Dr. Cawak, I -"

"No excuses. When the day comes that you start working in a general hospital, and -God help us- actually treat patients, then you will have to address them formally, even if you caught their name beforehand. You will keep addressing them formally until explicitly told otherwise by the patient. And even then, you will refer to them by their family name when speaking to another doctor so they know exactly to whom you are referring to."

"Yes sir, excuse me," Kimberly said, looking totally embarrassed, and quickly stepped out.

Dr. Cawak took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose and put his glasses back on.

Layla looked at Sora, who just shrugged. Neither of them felt comfortable with what exchange, but Layla was the one who decided to say something about it.

"That wasn't really necessary, Dr."

"Mhm," Dr. Cawak hummed, opening the file and looking carefully at the information he had only glanced over this morning along with the papers from the Cairo hospital. He noticed the agitated look Layla was giving him, and the puzzled look Sora had on her.

He glanced back down at the papers, picked up his pen and started jotting down notes. He looked up at them for a moment, hoping that they would drop the issue, but Layla would not look away.

"All right, say it."

Layla spoke first. "Preparing her for the future is one thing, but scolding her in front of a patient is cruel."

"What about you?" He stopped writing and pointed his pen at Sora.

Sora hesitated at first, but then spoke. "Don't you think that she'll try to please you instead of fulfilling your own expectations of her?"

Layla was surprised by the accuracy of that question. It showed just how much experience Sora had gained while training the younger performers.

"If I explain myself, can we move on to the examination?"

Layla nodded.

"Have either of you ever worked in a hospital?"

He took their silence as a 'no'.

"Ok. Have either of you ever had someone else's life depend on yours?"

"Well..." Layla and Sora both said in tandem as blue instantly caught large brown eyes in understanding. They were no doubt recalling their synchronization training for the Legendary Great Maneuver. The almost impossible physical demand and emotional strain stretched both girls to the breaking point and beyond. But they learned to believe in each other absolutely. To do otherwise meant death.

The doctor looked at them curiously, but continued.

"Well then, you might know how high tempers can run in those situations. Imagine being in that situation everyday. It would drive anyone mad."

They both nodded in agreement.

"In busy public hospitals, this is a daily occurrence. I want her to be confident and rely on herself to do what is right in any given situation, whether it's surgery or getting coffee in the break room. 'Conflict resolution' should be right under 'desire to help people' in the job description. And that's what Kimberly fails at ... for now at least."

Sora again felt the need to say something. "But will she learn from this?"

He leaned back, seeing that they both understood. "I wouldn't worry. She's incredibly smart. She'll brood over it for the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the week even. Then she'll confront me about it. That's how she works."

"Must be tough for her," Layla commented.

"She comes from a very sheltered life; her parents are overprotective. As far as I can tell, getting into medicine is probably the first decision she has made on her own against her parents' wishes. So I think she has what it takes, but what she needs is more training; a little more self-confidence wouldn't hurt."

"I see," Sora said smiling slightly. The young nervous assistant simply screamed inexperience, but there was also great potential. She certainly had the enthusiasm for it.

"She is lucky to be here though, whether you agree with my methods or not. In this clinic we hardly ever get any serious life threatening cases. So here, she can do the least amount of damage while she is still rough around the edges. She will make mistakes when she moves on from here, some of them will be scarring, but hopefully I can prepare her to cope better."

Layla nodded in understanding. Though their professions were worlds apart, and the methods were different, the goal was the same- to guide and nurture those that followed you.

"Well, that was a quite an interesting detour. Are you ready to be examined now?"

"Yes," Layla said getting helped onto the doctor's examination table. Sora sat by her side just in case.

"This will hurt," Dr. Cawak warned, and began putting pressure on certain areas of Layla's legs.

Layla, who already had a high tolerance for pain, yelled out a couple of times, a few tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

Sora instinctively grabbed onto Layla's hand to calm her down, and when the blonde realized this, she tried even harder to mask the discomfort, not wanting to appear weak in front of Sora. But at times the pain was so acute and sharp; she couldn't help but squeeze Sora's hand as strong as she could.

Sora hated to see her friend like this, and knew the pain was necessary, but it looked like torture. She could feel Layla's hand in hers begin to tremble.

"How much longer do I have to-?" began Layla through gritted teeth.

"All done," he interrupted and went over to his desk and began writing. "You are by far one of the worst cases I've had at this clinic. Not as tragic as the man who had to have his legs amputated, but pretty bad."

Sora did her best not to let those words frighten her, but she couldn't help but feel Layla's pain and fear. "So how bad is it?"

"Well it's a mixed bag I suppose, but in a good way. Your strong pain shows that you don't have any numbness, and the muscles have started to mend. To be honest, were it not for your athletic training and muscle memory, this would have been a grim visit indeed. I'm sure it sounds weird -that your pain is good, but that's basically all there is to it."

"That's ... good to hear, I suppose," said Layla who had regained her composure.

"Seeing that there are already signs of improvement from the previous doctor's examination, makes me fairly certain that you'll make a quick recovery."

"Great!" Sora said ecstatically.

"However," Dr. Cawak, interjected, thoroughly curbing Sora's enthusiasm. "Your recovery will not progress linearly, Ms. Hamilton. You could be walking again by the start of the next week, and could have improved enough by the end of that week to even be able to run."

"What's the catch?" Layla asked.

"Well it's not really a catch. Your body is strong enough to bounce back from this accident, but ideally, you should try to take it as easy as you can for the next month. To be honest, there's not much data on people with your type of injuries, much less them being physically healthy acrobats. But I urge you to try and resist the instinct to regain your full strength too prematurely. We need to make sure your legs heal all the way."

"Should be no problem, if I have Sora by my side," Layla said confidently.

"What's funny is that whoever the doctor over there was, he did a pretty accurate assessment of your injuries and prediction of your subsequent recovery. Of course, you'll need some medicine to help you."

Dr. Cawak began writing prescriptions and took out a few papers from a folder and handed them to Sora. "We'll get you on some very mild painkillers, some anti-inflammation pills. There are three lotions that you'll have to rub in thoroughly to help soothe the muscle aches and so on. Here are instructions for a few massages you could do and some pain tests that you will have to do."

"Ok," Sora said quietly, her heart already sinking at the idea of putting Layla through more pain.

"It won't be as bad as it was today," Dr. Cawak said, seeing the look of worry on the Japanese girl's expressive face. "You will have to do it to assess the dosage for some of the medication. So you, Layla, will have to be honest about it."

He stopped for a moment then started chuckling. "Now look who's being informal with patients." He shook his head at his own mistake. "Now if you get on a restful sleep schedule, as well as keep a healthy diet, you should start feeling less pain starting tomorrow. Those lotions will greatly improve on that."

"Sounds reasonable. Anything else?" Layla asked.

"I think we covered all bases. If anything should happen contact me immediately, but if everything goes smoothly, we will see each other again next week at the same time. We'll change your medication accordingly after we see how much you've recovered. That's all for now."

"Ok, thank you very much. See you next week." Layla responded.

"Take care." Dr. Cawak bid the two girls goodbye and left the room.

As Sora and Layla exited the office, Sora caught Kimberly looking at them from distance, a patient's file in her hands. Remembering the discussion they had had about her earlier, Sora gave her a thumbs up and said cheerfully, "hang in there!"

Kimberly, pleasantly surprised by the gesture could only stutter, "Thanks!" before the door closed behind them.

Sora and Layla headed to the clinic pharmacy and picked up the prescriptions and then met up with Simon. He drove them to the nearest grocery store before dropping them off back at Layla's apartment. By the time they got home, it was already late evening.

Sora whipped up something with the fresh produce she bought and they ate dinner together before getting ready for bed.

With some apprehension, Sora timidly began to apply each lotion. Layla did her best to not cringe from the pain, but eventually it subsided and she began to relax under Sora's ministrations. After Sora finished, Layla took her medication and finally settled down on the couch.

Sora joined her for a few moments, but quickly got up again. "Whoops! Almost forgot to do my evening exercises," she said even as she stepped to the side and began her stretches in prelude to her regular routine.

"You exercise before bed?" Layla asked.

"Yeah. I usually can't sleep if I don't do them."

"Even after shows?"

"Well..." Sora said dropping into the splits and stretching down to reach for her right toe, "depends on the show. Like if I feel I haven't exerted by body enough. It's something of a habit, too."

"I see. I only do that when I've been stuck offstage for a while. I usually do it before dinner, since I can't sleep if I do them later on."

Sora giggled. "Rosetta is like that too. But she's more of a night person to be honest."

"Isn't she a bit young to be a night person?"

"That's what I thought, but it has never caught up to her. It still makes me worry."

Layla didn't really know what to say next, never having gotten to know Rosetta all that well personally. So instead, she turned on the huge flat screen TV.

"You want to watch something in particular?" Layla inquired to Sora who was already balancing on a chair.

"Anything's fine really."

"Let's see here," Layla started browsing all the channels. It was mostly late night news, talk shows and infomercials at this hour.

"Doesn't seem to be anything worthwhile on."

"I could go out and rent something," Sora suggested, landing on the couch next to Layla.

"Ah, I remember Macquarie telling me that there weren't any rental stores like that left around here. I wouldn't want you going out alone at this hour anyways."

"Eh? Come on, I can look after myself."

"I know, but strange things happen in this city. I wouldn't want you going out for such a trivial thing anyway."

"All right," Sora relented.

"Wait, now I remember that Macquarie said something about streaming shows and movies." Layla looked peeved at her remote, not finding the option she wanted. "Why do they have to put so many buttons on this thing?"

"Let me have a look at it," Sora said and Layla handed the remote over to her friend. Without giving it much thought, she pressed a single button and accessed the on-demand screen. "There. Anna got something like this too some time ago."

Hundreds of movies and TV posters came up in the background. A menu overlay appeared shortly after with even more listings. There was headline news, movie trailers, television ratings, and movie reviews and discussion forums about them.

"Oh," Layla said clearly impressed by the bits of information presented to her. "So we can watch any of these movies right now?"

"Think so."

Sora handed the remote back to Layla who took a minute to understand the interface.

"Let's go to, 'What are people currently watching.'" She scrolled through the rankings; most of them were TV shows she had no idea about. "Oh, you can never go wrong with this movie," Layla said as she selected The Shawshank Redemption.

Sora smiled, as she resumed her routine. "Do you also keep watching it even though you've seen it so many times?"

Layla smiled back. "Yes, it only ever takes a scene to get me hooked."

"Same here," Sora laughed. "I like the movie for another reason, by the way."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, it was the first book I ever read. Well, the first advanced English book anyway."

"Really?"

"Pretty much. Ever since I came to America and experienced Kaleido Stage for the first time, I was fascinated by the classic fairy tales. It made me want to read the stories in English, so I tried to learn as much as I could, even outside of school. One of my friends back home gave me Shawshank Redemption in English, so the more I learned the language, the better I understood this book. So naturally I love the book and this movie."

"That's really interesting, Sora. I mean, I never really gave any thought about English as your second language. You've always sounded perfectly normal to me."

"Really? Thank you. I used to get that a lot when I first came here. Now whenever I go back home, everyone says I have a slight foreign accent. Oh, movie's starting. Want me to get something to munch?"

"Sure."

Layla smiled to herself, enjoying the fact that Sora was always so thoughtful, and always one of the first to try and help without a second thought. Making small talk with co-workers and even some friends felt so tedious at times, but with Sora, it came naturally. At a very young age, Layla was pushed into the public eye, and had been taught how to speak properly given any situation, to engage someone, to be attuned to tones and hidden meanings, and to even manipulate the conversation if need be. But the way she and Sora had been chatting ever since they had gotten back from the clinic had been so natural and enjoyable, that she didn't notice all the little tactics she had been taught to detect. She simply was enjoying herself.

As the movie went on, Layla grew more and more relaxed, her earlier pain forgotten. Sora stopped training only to get Layla a blanket, an extra pillow and a hot tea. But as the movie got to the climax, Sora couldn't concentrate on her moves, and found herself huddled next to Layla with a cup of tea of her own.

As the credits rolled, Sora and Layla's spirits were uplifted by Red and Andy's incredible reunion; it reminded them that despite all odds anything is possible and that true friends will always be there for you. Watching the movie this time, Layla was really struck by the quote in Andy's letter to Red. 'If you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further.'

In their years together, there had been those times where she and Sora had separated, either psychically or drifted apart emotionally, only to call out to one another. Layla was amazed and felt truly grateful at how far Sora had gone to reach her; Sora hadn't only saved her life, but her spirit as well.

_Should I tell her that she's my best friend? Would it be so weird or too sudden and confuse her? Does she even consider me a good friend? I want to tell her, but I don't want to ruin this nice moment. I can't say a weird thing like this now, _pondered Layla while looking over at Sora who was still watching the credits, and listening to the final score.

The last credit rolled and there was silence. Sora finally turned to Layla and presented a very pleased smile and a certain contentedness about her. "You know, one of the things I like about the book is that Red actually was writing down Andy's story. Being able to record his friend's amazing journey, while also unintentionally telling his own story, is amazing to me."

And with that, Sora rose from her seat and went to wash their tea mugs and the empty plate of snacks, leaving Layla to wonder how much, like her previous thought, applied to them -as friends- as well.

They went to bed shortly after as Layla needed to get back into a regular sleeping schedule.

Left alone in her room, Layla began cursing herself for not telling Sora how she had felt at that moment.

_Why did I talk myself out of it? I think she was thinking something similar, but why couldn't I say anything? I promised myself I would try harder to connect with people, and Sora is the one person I wish it for the most._

She turned from one side to the other in frustration.

"But I can't rush it either, can I?"

Layla did eventually fall asleep, and during the night Sora had gotten up to use the bathroom. As she passed Layla's bedroom, she could hear noise from behind the door. Sora stopped in her tracks, considering if she should go in or not. Maybe Layla was just rearranging the bedcovers she had tossed off during the night. But as she listened carefully, the noise became distressed moans.

Sora gripped the door knob, and as quietly as she could, turned and pushed. She peered into Layla's room and immediately saw the blond tossing around in her sleep. It seemed like Layla was having a very intense dream. Sora approached her friend, and gently caressed the blonde's head, running her hand through her bangs. It seemed to calm her down for the time being. Before leaving, Sora replaced the cover that Layla had indeed kicked away, and covered her up again.

"She looks peaceful now. Her injuries are probably making her dreams more painful," Sora whispered to herself and closed the door quietly behind her.

Sora however, had no idea that Layla was having a nightmare because of other things, and as the night went on it got progressively worse.

Layla kept reliving parts of her fateful trip, but the events were more distorted, and it always ended in a more gruesome way. Tonight, she was able to walk within her dream, and again saw herself as a scared little girl.

"Mommy? Where are you?" Little Layla desperately looked around. She tripped a couple of times on unseen rocks. "I'm sorry for what I said. I'm so sorry!"

As the sun set and once again turned a deep red, all Layla could do was slump down and begin to cry. "Why won't you come back?"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, and something appeared in her vision between her and the bloody sunset.

"Who is there?" Layla cautiously called, feeling that it was not her mother.

As the figure stepped closer, Layla's perspective started to change and she had a strong sense of vertigo. "Who are you?" the little girl asked, fear creeping up on her.

The sunset was diminishing fast, but the figure approaching started to take on a familiar shape.

"Layla!" the figure called out to her.

"Sora?"

Layla realized it was Sora, and the girl was getting closer and closer, much to her relief. But just as her friend was about to reach her, everything faded to black.

"Sora!" little Layla shrieked in a panic, unable to see or hear anything. She felt as if the was going to be swallowed up in emptiness, but her hands felt the familiar pillow and soft mattress underneath her and calmed down. Suddenly, there was a flash, and an image of a ferocious lion appeared, leaping at her with an ear-piercing roar. Layla screamed but the roar drowned out any sound.

Layla opened her eyes wide in terror, her mouth forming a silent scream, unable to move. Her reflexes kicked in, and she gasped for air. She took a moment to convince herself that she wasn't asleep anymore.

After she calmed down, she reached over to her phone. It was four in the morning.

"Damn."

She wiped the sweat off her face and settled back down.

"I must not let myself be scared in my own dreams. These nightmares will stop," she ordered herself, as if telling her subconscious directly.

Layla soon fell back asleep, though she eventually did find herself in the same wild setting. But before things could take a turn for the worse again, Sora had started to move around the kitchen, and without intending to had slammed a cupboard door, which effectively woke her up from any dreams, good or bad.

Layla was glad it was finally morning, and fished around for her phone; she had apparently forgotten to put it back on the nightstand. Finally finding the device, she looked at the lit screen. It was 9 am now.

"Much better." It just wouldn't do to wake up at four in the afternoon again.

The blonde still felt exhausted since she had accumulated a lot of fatigue from the previous nights, not to mention the stressful visit to the doctor yesterday. Still, she reasoned she would slowly and surely recuperate, and hopefully with a more normal sleeping pattern, the nightmares would cease.

Luckily for her, she had forgotten most of her nightmare by breakfast.

Unlike yesterday morning, Sora found it much easier to help Layla get ready for the day. Most of her shyness at seeing Layla topless had disappeared, making the morning go smoothly for the both of them. It was almost as if they were both back at Kaleido Stage, working together as a team.

It was only while watching the morning news that Layla realized she had not said much to Sora other than asking her to assist with the things she couldn't do herself.

Before she could think of a topic however, the doorbell rang. Neither of them knew who it could be. Layla recalled Cathy wasn't due to drop by until tomorrow, and Sora simply didn't know anyone in New York.

Sora looked through the peephole and shrugged to Layla back on the couch. Sora opened the door to reveal an elderly woman with her hair put up in a very elegant, but old-fashioned bun. In her arms was a white West Highland Terrier.

"Hello, are you one of the Hamilton servants?"

That question confused Sora. In a way, she was serving Layla, but she was also a friend. "I… well ... I mean ..." Sora stuttered.

"That's fine, dear," said the woman dismissively. "Tell me, is the young lady in?"

"I'm here, Mrs. Bosworth. Please come in," Layla said from her seat.

The old woman instantly turned her frown into a smile before barging in and shooting Sora a haughty look. She wasn't even trying to hide her obvious disapproval for who she thought was an incompetent servant.

"I'm so glad I found you home. I rarely see you these days," Mrs. Bosworth said with a saccharine smile.

Her speech was controlled and calculated as usual noted Layla, as the older woman sat on the opposite couch.

"Well, I was abroad traveling, but anyway… How are you Mrs. Bosworth? And who do we have here? Caesar, if I remember correctly." Layla answered her own question, effectively stopping the woman from introducing her pet for the hundredth time. The dog didn't seem to answer to Layla calling it by its name.

"Oh you know me, dear; keeping busy with my galas and other social events. There will be a small, but nonetheless significant soiree this evening. Oh by the way, I'd love to see you there, if you could make it. I know you're busy, but I think a lot of people there would like to catch up with you."

"That's very generous of you, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I've had a little bit of trouble lately, and the doctor's orders are to not strain myself unnecessarily."

Mrs. Bosworth's smile faltered just a bit, only then noticing the pill bottles and ointments on the coffee table in front of her. She did not break eye contact with Layla.

"Such a shame. I hope you get better, dear. And now I feel really bad for coming to you with a request..." said Mrs. Bosworth unapologetically.

"If I can help," Layla interjected, letting herself be interrupted in turn.

"Oh you're so sweet. Well, here's my little dilemma. With my great talent for planning events, I have assigned all of my personal assistants and servants to manage and work on tonight's event, but have left myself without anyone to keep Cesar entertained while I'm busy with my preparations. I can't take the poor munchkin with me to all the stylists either, since he gets so easily bored and the therapist told me to avoid that at all costs. So I don't have anyone trustworthy to leave him with."

"I see," said Layla indifferently.

"So that's why I was wondering if you could help me, and perhaps…" Mrs Bosworth lowered her voice conspiringly, "I can help the Hamiltons find a better personal servant."

Sora could hardly keep up with the seemingly light conversation. To Sora, each sentence was crafted carefully, but shot out like a bullet. But Sora heard the insult and could do nothing but look down in embarrassment.

"Wait, wait, wait," Layla said firmly, slightly raising her hand. The gesture effectively broke the flow and rhythm of the conversation. Layla threw off the proverbial gloves.

"_Sora_ is her name, and she is notmy servant, my employee, my caretaker or even my assistant. Sora is my friend and without exaggerating, probably one of my _best_ friends. And while she _is_ helping me through a difficult time, I do not appreciate her being called anything other than my friend."

The old woman sat up stiffly and fell silent. She had gotten ahead of herself, and had basically been slapped in the face for it. After a moment, she found her voice. "I'm sorry, dear," she apologized honestly, then turned to Sora. "I hope you too will forgive my rudeness."

"D-don't worry about it," Sora said, trying to shrug it off as if nothing happened. But inside, Sora was beaming with happiness at Layla's words.

"I see now," Mr. Bosworth continued. "If Layla chose you to help her over the most well-trained and expensive help she could get, then you can't be anything other than her best friend."

The conversation halted there, no one daring to make the next move. Layla felt she had said enough to Mrs. Bosworth other than 'good day.'

But Sora felt bad for the old woman, knowing that Layla could trade sharp barbs with the best. So Sora felt like she should give her a break, and besides, Caesar was the cutest doggie.

"So what about Caesar?"

"Well ... " Layla had all but forgotten about the dog which had been the reason for all of this. "I don't have pets myself, and can't think of anyone to call at such a short notice.

"Oh, I see. I guess I should have thought about that too. It was worth a try, though."

"How about you just leave him with us?" Sora said walking behind the couch and standing behind Layla like she was a blonde shield.

Said blonde looked up at Sora. "Hmm, would that work?"

"Why not? There's nothing on the agenda for today."

* * *

For people who have just read this, this is the final version of this chapter. i initially to stop stalling put it out before I could give **Falling Awake** chance to punch it up

There's a lot of great tweaks and improvements and starting with the next chapter we will resume our regular story creation pipeline.

I'm not sure if FF sends out notifications that a chapter was edited, but if it does then people who have read are encouraged to do so again if they want to read a better version of this chapter.


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